Sources Contact Advanced Search Tutorials

An Interest In:

Web News this Week

Search Archive

Some of Our Sources

View All Sources

Help Webnuz

Referal links:

July 15, 2020 02:29 pm

Secret Trump Order Gives CIA More Powers To Launch Cyberattacks

The Central Intelligence Agency has conducted a series of covert cyber operations against Iran and other targets since winning a secret victory in 2018 when President Trump signed what amounts to a sweeping authorization for such activities, according to former U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the matter. From a report: The secret authorization, known as a presidential finding, gives the spy agency more freedom in both the kinds of operations it conducts and who it targets, undoing many restrictions that had been in place under prior administrations. The finding allows the CIA to more easily authorize its own covert cyber operations, rather than requiring the agency to get approval from the White House. Unlike previous presidential findings that have focused on a specific foreign policy objective or outcome â" such as preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power â" this directive, driven by the National Security Council and crafted by the CIA, focuses more broadly on a capability: covert action in cyberspace. The âoevery aggressiveâ finding âoegave the agency very specific authorities to really take the fight offensively to a handful of adversarial countries,â said a former U.S. government official. These countries include Russia, China, Iran and North Korea â" which are mentioned directly in the document â" but the finding potentially applies to others as well, according to another former official. âoeThe White House wanted a vehicle to strike back,â said the second former official. âoeAnd this was the way to do it.â

Slashdot

Slashdot was originally created in September of 1997 by Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda. Today it is owned by Geeknet, Inc..

More About this Source Visit Slashdot