IT staffers may have compromised sensitive data to foreign intelligence

[Right_in_Virginia]

IT staffers may have compromised sensitive data to foreign intelligence
New York Post, Aug 19, 2017, Paul Sperry



Federal authorities are investigating whether sensitive data was stolen from congressional offices by several Pakistani-American tech staffers and sold to Pakistani or Russian intelligence, knowledgeable sources say.

What started out 16 months ago as a scandal involving the alleged theft of computer equipment from Congress has turned into a national-security investigation involving FBI surveillance of the suspects.

Investigators now suspect that sensitive US government data — possibly including classified information — could have been compromised and may have been sold to hostile foreign governments that could use it to blackmail members of Congress or even put their lives at risk.

“This is a massive, massive scandal,” a senior US official familiar with the widening probe told The Post.

Alarm bells went off in April 2016 when computer security officials in the House reported “irregularities” in computer equipment purchasing. An internal investigation revealed the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in government property, and evidence pointed to five IT staffers and the Democratic Congress members’ offices that employed them.


Read more:  http://nypost.com/2017/08/19/it-staffers-may-have-compromised-sensitive-data-to-foreign-intelligence/

[driftdiver]

The dems knew and have probably been paid off.

[Bigun]

I've been telling you this for how long?

[Bigun]

The dems knew and have probably been paid off.

They were just following the orders of their leader! This goes all the way to the top!

[Cyber Liberty]

I assume the Special Prosecutor is right on top of this.....

[GtHawk]

The dems knew and have probably been paid off.

Or paying blackmail, but yeah they knew.

[Free Vulcan]

If you're playing catch-up on this burgeoning scandal, read Andy McCarthy's summary, and these details of Debbie Wasserman Schultz's bizarre behavior throughout the imbroglio -- including refusing to fire the staffers even after it was clear that they were under FBI investigation, then shifting her tone and story regarding her obsession with a confiscated laptop. 

She played the crude 'Islamophobia' card in an attempt to explain away her actions vis-a-vis her Pakistani-American staffers, but that spin both ignored the mounting evidence against them and smeared fellow Congressional Democrats who severed ties with the team once the federal probe came to light. 

A fresh report from the New York Post quotes sources who say investigators are now looking into whether the Awan cabal sold stolen data from Congressional offices to foreign intelligence services.  The second country named is likely to raise eyebrows:

    Federal authorities are investigating whether sensitive data was stolen from congressional offices by several Pakistani-American tech staffers and sold to Pakistani or Russian intelligence, knowledgeable sources say. What started out 16 months ago as a scandal involving the alleged theft of computer equipment from Congress has turned into a national-security investigation involving FBI surveillance of the suspects.

Investigators now suspect that sensitive US government data — possibly including classified information — could have been compromised and may have been sold to hostile foreign governments that could use it to blackmail members of Congress or even put their lives at risk. “This is a massive, massive scandal,” a senior US official familiar with the widening probe told The Post...During the probe, investigators found valuable government data that is believed to have been taken from the network and placed on offsite servers, setting off more alarms. Some 80 offices were potentially compromised. Most lawmakers fired the alleged “ringleader” — longtime IT staffer Imran Awan — in February.

But Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former Democratic National Committee chief, kept Awan on her payroll until his arrest last month on seemingly unrelated charges of defrauding the congressional credit union. For more than a decade, Awan, his wife, two relatives and a friend worked for 30 House Democrats. They included New York City pols Gregory Meeks, Joseph Crowley and Yvette Clarke and members of the sensitive Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees. 

Read more at: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2017/08/21/report-investigators-probing-whether-dws-it-staffers-sold-sensitive-data-to-foreign-governmentsincluding-russia-n2371310

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Russia, Russia, Russia!

[Bigun]

First reported on this thread

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,277675.0.html

[Free Vulcan]

First reported on this thread

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,277675.0.html

I will merge.

[Bigun]

I will merge.

 

[Oceander]

From your lips to Gods ear.  I hope and pray this doesn't get deep-sixed. 

[Sanguine]

IT staffers may have compromised sensitive data to foreign intelligence

Ya think?

[Cyber Liberty]

Ya think?

Yeah, it's a bit of a "Duh!" moment.  Geez, to think there are some people who think they didn't compromise data....