A FORMER CIA software engineer has been convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for carrying out the largest data breach in CIA history, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday. The criminal, named Joshua Adam Schulte, sent stolen classified CIA information to WikiLeaks, causing the United States to be seriously threatened.
Schulte is a 35-year-old New Yorker who worked in the CIA's Cyber Intelligence Center, where he was responsible for developing and maintaining hacking tools for infiltrating and spying on foreign targets' computers and cell phones. He was subsequently transferred out of the Cyber Intelligence Center to another department in 2016 after he was found to have abused his management authority by accessing classified documents that he had no rights to view. Prosecutors believe that Schulte was unhappy with the CIA's handling and decided to take revenge, starting his theft and leak program.
Prosecutors said in court filings that Schulte used his technical abilities and familiarity with the CIA's systems to steal copies of the entire CCI tool development dossier, containing thousands of classified documents involving the agency's hacking capabilities, goals, techniques, and operations. He deleted hundreds of files, tried to cover his whereabouts, and then sent the stolen files to WikiLeaks, a company dedicated to revealing the secrets of **and the business**. WikiLeaks began publishing classified data from the CIA's stolen archives in 2017, and these are called"Vault 7"with"Vault 8"The confidential data in the archives was disclosed a total of 26 times, causing global concern and shock.
In an interview with the FBI after the leak, Schulte repeatedly lied and denied any involvement in the leak. Prosecutors said he also made up lies about what might have happened in an attempt to deflect suspicion. Schulte's theft and leaks immediately and severely undermined the CIA's ability to gather foreign intelligence against U.S. adversaries, putting CIA personnel, programs, and assets at direct risk, and costing the CIA hundreds of millions of dollars. The Department of Justice added that "the disclosure of information has caused unusually serious harm to the United States." The CIA's former deputy director for digital innovation described the leaks during Schulte's trial as:"Digital Pearl Harbor"。
Schulte was sentenced to 480 months in prison on espionage, computer hacking, contempt of court, false representation to the FBI, and child pornography. He was tried and convicted in March 2020, July 2022 and September last year. Prosecutors said Schulte continued to release top-secret information while in prison, he called it"Information warfare", trying to inflict more harm on the country. He also collected thousands of ** and ** of children suffering disgusting abuse to satisfy his own selfish desires. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said in a statement, Schulte"betrayed his country and committed the most outrageous and heinous crime of espionage in American history"。Williams said he"In retaliation for the CIA's response to Schulte's security violations while employed by the CIA, unspeakable damage was done to our ***"。
Schulte's leaks have been compared by some **and** to those of Edward Deng, a former contractor of the U.S. Bureau. In 2013, he leaked the U.S. Bureau's mass surveillance program, exposing the U.S.'s surveillance and eavesdropping on global citizens and leaders, triggering a strong international outcry and condemnation. **Deng is currently in exile in Russia and faces multiple charges of espionage and theft. The main difference between Schulte's leak and Deng's leak is that Schulte leaked the CIA's offensive capabilities, while Deng's leaked the defensive capabilities of the *** bureau.
Schulte's leaks may have given America's enemies access to CIA hacking techniques, increasing the risk of U.S. attacks, while the Deng's leaks may have reduced trust in the U.S. among U.S. allies and citizens, affecting U.S. partnerships and reputation. Schulte's leaks are also believed to be motivated by personal revenge, while Deng's leaks are considered to be motivated by public interest considerations. Schulte's leak was called by the Justice Department"It was one of the largest incidents of unauthorized disclosure of classified information in U.S. history", and the **Deng's leak is called**"It was the largest intelligence breach in U.S. history"。February** Dynamic Incentive Program