How in the hell did the CIA lose all this information?

[AngryAmish]

WikiLeaks says it was an insider. That is really bad. After Snowden we were supposed to tighten up the vetting. And they fucked it up completely.

Or maybe Russia hack the CIA. That is even worse.

Today is a disaster. We had all these tools, hopefully to protect us, and now they are useless. Worse, every deplorable on 4chan has access to them.

[lame54]

1. We are way behind in cyber technology...

more $$$ for battleships and nukes

[Hortensis]

22. Doubt it. But we have competition. Many other nations

mostly caught up in this respect some time ago.

[WheelWalker]

2. There are Russian agents in the White House. We really need to act swiftly.

[triron]

12. Maybe the reason?

[sarah FAILIN]

14. Flynn could have done it himself

Anyone in the whitehouse could have done it. Supposed to be a contractor but they lie..

[titaniumsalute]

3. If it is true

Can we believe Wikileaks?

[Freethinker65]

4. On the positive side, at least our side now knows (some of?)

What was leaked...and that is assuming that they did not already know the information was out there.

[bathroommonkey76]

7. Wikileaks called today's dump 'Part 1'

I'm guessing there are going to be several parts to these dumps-- Will probably go on for days/weeks.

[joshcryer]

5. It was the White House.

The leak is clearly operations capabilities, your run of the mill data drop to inform the new administration.

[haele]

11. Yup, that's what the synopsis appears to indicate.

The few items I've seen (and that my spouse has seen) are more like high level briefs than actual information.
All classified, true - but nothing really specific. A foreign counter-intelligence unit could link to certain reported capabilities or operations to maybe ferret out something that the CIA or any of the other ICs are actually doing now - but it all still is pretty high level.

This has Bannon's, Miller's and possibly Flynn's fingerprints all over it. I don't think Pompeo is venal enough to destroy the organization he just took over, but one never knows.

Find out where the info came from, and you'll find the White House leaker.

Haele

[HoneyBadger]

13. One notable item was how to hack a Windows Product Key to pirate it

[haele]

17. Actually, I figured out how to do that on my own...

Sort of on my own, that is. Had to get my netbook back last year - it was a Win8RT platform I bought as a refurb, so the Office and other Windows products that had been installed on it did not come with the original product keys (I know, but it was the cheapest thing I could get on short notice three years ago). Got a "white-hat" analyst co-worker to help me hack my own netbook from my husband's Win10 PC over the home network to get the product keys once I could get the OS to boot up and to be able to restore my Office files for a jug of Mississippi Mud along with half a home-made fried chicken and duck fat fries dredged in parmesan cheese.

Haele

[sarah FAILIN]

16. agreed.

[jberryhill]

6. They already own the ultimate insider

[gratuitous]

8. It's an old, old story

Heck, even from the time of Jesus: Mark 4:22, "For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light." There is NO WAY to ensure total security, and our secrets are bound to come out sooner or later. Certainly we don't want to conduct all of our affairs out in the public eye (there are good reasons for operating in secret), but consider the inevitability that our actions will be exposed and consider ahead of time how to explain them.

[KittyWampus]

9. There were leaks before and after Snowden. Which makes Snowden defenders look even more stupid.

[HoneyBadger]

10. Wiki says that the CIA hires independents to do the hacking

Plausible deniability etc.

The number one rule is that it not be traceable to the CIA.

You hire criminals, do not be surprised when they do criminal stuff.

[kentuck]

15. On purpose?

[Squinch]

18. And this same thing happened to the NSA in the summer. So we're fucked.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

19. We don't know and have no way or knowing

what the truth is here. And we'll never know.

Maybe WikiLeaks made it all up, maybe the CIA wanted to "lose" all this info (which may be real or may be made up). Spreading misinformation is a big part of what the CIA does.

Here's a theory I just made up: The CIA made these hacking tools available because the CIA has a back door for them which allows them to monitor anyone using these tools. Bam!

[TheFrenchRazor]

20. i don't care how it got out, and no, we don't need these "tools" to "keep us safe." nt

[WhiteTara]

21. Contractors.

No loyalty except to the highest bidder.

[HoneyBadger]

23. Whatsapp was crowned the most secure messaging app late last year

The DNC switched to using the Signal app after the hacks last year, to prevent any further hacking.

Guess what 2 apps the CIA tools are used to hack......

Like a hot knife through butter.