Excerpt
SUMMARY: Intelligence services in Russia and China are cross-referencing hacked U.S. databases to reveal the identities of U.S. intelligence workers, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Jeffrey Brown learns more from reporter Brian Bennett.
GWEN IFILL (NewsHour): Next, a closer look at how major hacks of U.S. data are being used by China and Russia to target U.S. spies.
Today’s Los Angeles Times reports that intelligence services in those two nations are aggressively cross-referencing leaked information, including security clearances, airline records and medical insurance forms, to reveal the identities of intelligence officers and agents.
Jeffrey Brown has more.
JEFFREY BROWN (NewsHour): We hear about these high-level data breaches all the time. Today’s story connects some of the dots in a chilling way, claiming, for example, that at least one clandestine network of American engineers and scientists who work with U.S. undercover agents overseas has already been compromised.
One of the article’s authors, L.A. Times reporter Brian Bennett, joins me now.
And welcome to you.
So, we hear about these acts. This is about what happens afterwards, right, cross-indexing and putting together the information. What kind of clues are they looking for?
BRIAN BENNETT, The Los Angeles Times: So, right now, countries like China and Russia are collecting massive amounts of data on the lives of Americans and the lives of government workers.
And this is going to allow them to get a dossier on people and know about their medical history, their banking information, if they have financial difficulties and might be vulnerable to blackmail or something else, their — any marital indiscretions that may have come out, their connections overseas. And all this information is put together in massive databases and powerful computers can crunch them and give a very detailed view of people traveling.
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