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Russia 'likely' behind SolarWinds hack: US intelligence
Washington (AFP) - US intelligence and law enforcement agencies said Tuesday that Russia was probably behind the massive SolarWinds hack that has shaken government and corporate security, contradicting President Donald Trump, who had suggested China could be to blame. A joint statement by the FBI, Directorate of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency outlined their findings in what experts have called the most devastating break in US computer security in years. Their investigation "indicates that an Advanced Persistent Threat (A...
AFP
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Cyberattack hit key US Treasury systems: senator
Washington (AFP) - Hackers broke into systems used by top US Treasury officials during a massive cyberattack on government agencies and may have stolen essential encryption keys, a senior lawmaker said Monday. Senator Ron Wyden, who sits on both the Senate Intelligence and Finance Committees, said after a closed-door briefing that the hack at the US Treasury Department "appears to be significant." Dozens of email accounts were compromised, he said in a statement. "Additionally the hackers broke into systems in the Departmental Offices division of Treasury, home to the department's highest-rank...
AFP
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US allows convicted spy Pollard to move to Israel
Washington (AFP) - An American jailed in 1985 for spying for Israel was released from strict parole conditions Friday, allowing his move to Israel, the US Justice Department said.Jonathan Pollard served 30 years for giving away classified US documents and had been confined by parole terms to the United States since his release in 2015, despite Israeli pressure to allow him to leave."After a review of Mr. Pollard's case, the US Parole Commission has found that there is no evidence to conclude that he is likely to violate the law," the Justice Department said.Thousands of documents passedPollard...
AFP
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US allows convicted spy Pollard to move to Israel
Washington (AFP) - An American jailed in 1985 for spying for Israel was released from strict parole conditions Friday, allowing his move to Israel, the US Justice Department said.Jonathan Pollard served 30 years for giving away classified US documents and had been confined by parole terms to the United States since his release in 2015, despite Israeli pressure to allow him to leave."After a review of Mr. Pollard's case, the US Parole Commission has found that there is no evidence to conclude that he is likely to violate the law," the Justice Department said.Pollard, 66, was a US Navy intellige...
AFP
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Former US Army Green Beret pleads guilty to spying for Russia
Washington (AFP) - A former officer in the US Army's elite Special Forces unit the Green Berets pleaded guilty on Wednesday to spying for Russia, the Justice Department said.Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, is to be sentenced on February 26, 2021 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison."Debbins today acknowledged that he violated this country's highest trust by passing sensitive national security information to the Russians," Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in a statement.According to prosecutors, the US-born Debbins was recruited by the Russians as early as 1996, before h...
AFP
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Five Chinese agents arrested in US for targeting Beijing opponents
Washington (AFP) - Five Chinese agents were arrested on Wednesday for their roles in an operation targeting Beijing's opponents in the United States, US officials announced.Assistant Attorney General John Demers said charges had been filed against eight people involved in an "illegal Chinese law enforcement operation known as Fox Hunt.""Since 2014, at the direction of Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has been engaged in a global operation known as Fox Hunt," Demers said at a press conference. "China describes Fox Hunt as an international anti-corruption campaign in which it seeks t...
AFP
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Five Chinese agents arrested in US for targeting Beijing opponents
Washington (AFP) - Five Chinese agents have been arrested in the United States for their role in an operation targeting opponents of the Chinese government, US officials announced on Wednesday.Assistant Attorney General John Demers said charges had been filed against eight people involved in an "illegal Chinese law enforcement operation known as Fox Hunt.""China describes Fox Hunt as an international anti-corruption campaign in which it seeks to locate legitimate fugitives around the world and bring them to China to face genuine criminal charges," Demers said."But in many instances the hunted ...
AFP