[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       isn
Subject:    [ISN] Russians arrest 'CIA hacker'
From:       William Knowles <wk () C4I ! ORG>
Date:       2000-06-27 18:40:38
[Download RAW message or body]

Forwarded by: "James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng" <jmatk@tscm.com>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_806000/806984.stm

The Russian authorities say they have arrested a man who allegedly
spied for the United States by hacking into Russian security service
computers. The man's name has not been revealed, but he is said to be
a Lithuanian who passed secrets to his own government as well as to
the US.

News of the arrest was given by the Russian domestic security service,
the FSB - the successor to the KGB.

The most important thing for the Americans was to use the agent to
penetrate information systems used by the Russian FSB

FSB statement

It said the man had hacked into FSB computers and passed on secrets to
the US Central Intelligence Agency.

The man is said to have given "detailed testimony" about his spying
activities for both the Lithuanian state security department and the
CIA.

The statement said the man had been "active on a CIA special
operation" from the beginning of 1999.

"The penetration of the FSB's computer network was an important
element of the US operation," said the FSB in a statement.

According to the Russians, the man hacked in to the FSB's own computer
system to find out the organisation's structure, staffing, and what
counter-measures the Russians might be taking against Western
operations.

"The most important thing for the Americans was to use the agent to
penetrate information systems used by the Russian FSB in order
regularly to obtain operative and other information," the FSB said.

The man is also said to have confessed to attemping to recruit an FSB
agent as a spy, during a planned meeting in Poland.

"The CIA aimed to stage a political provocation against Russia,
recruit an FSB employee and penetrate the FSB's computer network," the
agency said.

Expelled

Even though the Cold War is over, Russia and the US have both accused
a number of people of spying over the past year.

In early April, American Edmond Pope was arrested in Russia as an
alleged spy, and is still being held.

His arrest came only months after US diplomat Cherie Leberknight was
ordered to leave the country for allegedly trying to obtain military
secrets.

Shortly afterwards, Washington expelled a Russian diplomat.

And less than a fortnight ago, the Americans arrested a retired
Reserve Army officer and accused him of spying for the Soviet Union
during the Cold War.

The spying expulsions did not halt a summit meeting between US
President Bill Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin - himself
a former KGB head - earlier in June.

The two men said they had held constructive talks, but disagreed
strongly on a proposed US defence system, and correspondents said
there was little evidence of personal warmth between them.


===================================================================
       Everybody's into computers... Who's into yours?
===================================================================
 James M. Atkinson                          Phone: (978) 546-3803
 Granite Island Group
 127 Eastern Avenue #291                     http://www.tscm.com/
 Gloucester, MA 01931-8008                       jmatk@tscm.com
===================================================================
           "...any sufficiently advanced technology is
        indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke
===================================================================

ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERV@SecurityFocus.com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]