February 2014 Intelligence News

Agent of S. Korean Intelligence Service Interviewed KCNA 27 Feb 2014 -- Kim Jong Uk, an agent of the south Korean Intelligence Service (IS) who had been arrested while illegally intruding into the DPRK, was interviewed by domestic and foreign media persons at the People's Palace of Culture Thursday.
Report: British Spy Agency Snooped on Yahoo Webcam Chats VOA 27 Feb 2014 -- A published report say Britain's communications spy agency intercepted and stored screenshots from hundreds of thousands of webcams, and says the multi-year operation yielded a huge trove of intimate photographs of unsuspecting users.
Cuban 5 Spy Released from US Prison VOA 27 Feb 2014 -- A second member of the so-called 'Cuban Five' spy ring was released from a United States prison after being jailed for more than 15 years.
Brazil, Europe plan undersea cable to skirt US spying VoR 26 Feb 2014 -- Brazil and the European Union agreed on Monday to lay an undersea communications cable from Lisbon to Fortaleza to reduce Brazil's reliance on the United States after Washington spied on Brasilia.
Turkish PM among thousands targeted in phone-tapping - reports VoR 25 Feb 2014 -- Turkish police have eavesdropped on thousands of people including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as cabinet ministers, the country's spy chief and journalists, local newspapers reported on Monday.
US now spying on German govt. ministers Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2014 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) has stepped up its espionage activities against senior government officials in Germany.
NSA still spying on hundreds of Germany's political and economic elite VoR 23 Feb 2014 -- Far from giving up on its habit, the US National Security Agency is reportedly still wiretapping some 320 prominent German economists and politicians.
Officials: NSA considers expanding collection of Americans' phone records Iran Press TV 20 Feb 2014 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) is mulling to expand its controversial collection of phone records and data of the American public, drawing the anger of civil rights groups.
Turkish spy agency may get sweeping new powers VoR 20 Feb 2014 -- Turkey's government has submitted a bill to parliament to give the country's spy agency more sweeping powers, a parliamentary source said Thursday.
NSA considers retaining data for suits, expanding bulk surveillance VoR 20 Feb 2014 -- The US government may consider enlarging the National Security Agency's controversial collection of American citizens' phone records.
NSA and GCHQ tracked Wikileaks website VoR 18 Feb 2014 -- Julian Assange calls for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate the NSA, after documents show US spying on WikiLeaks and its supporters.
Australia concedes spying on Indonesia Iran Press TV 16 Feb 2014 -- The Australian government concedes spying on Indonesian firms, saying the operation meant to ensure the interests of Canberra's allies.
Snowden's top-secret document shows surveillance of US law firm - report VoR 16 Feb 2014 -- The National Security Agency was involved in the surveillance of an American law firm while it represented a foreign government in trade disputes with the United States, The New York Times reported in a story based on a top-secret document obtained by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden.
NSA's Australian allies spied on Indonesia-contracted US law firm VoR 16 Feb 2014 -- An American law firm advising Indonesian government on trade disputes with the United States has been reportedly caught up in yet another tangle of the National Security Agency espionage dragnet. This is according to the New York Times that has revealed a fresh top secret document provided by NSA's ex-contractor Edward Snowden.
Germany may step up counter-espionage measures against United States VoR 16 Feb 2014 -- Germany may resume active counter-espionage operations against US and other Western agents after decades of only minimal monitoring, the news magazine Der Spiegel reported Sunday.
US Says Snowden Copied Security Password from Co-worker VOA 13 Feb 2014 -- U.S. investigators have concluded that former national security contractor Edward Snowden collected some of the huge cache of surveillance documents he has disclosed by copying the password of a coworker who since has resigned.
Snowden used NSA co-worker's password to access secret files - report VoR 13 Feb 2014 -- A civilian employee at the National Security Agency has been disciplined after admitting he gave intelligence leaker Edward Snowden his personal encryption details, NBC News reported Thursday.
DOD Official Reports on Security Clearance Process AFPS 12 Feb 2014 -- The Defense Department has taken several initiatives to control security clearances in response to a mass shooting by a contract employee at the Washington Navy Yard last September, a DOD official told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday.
Former Navy commander sentenced to 6-years for espionage CNA 12 Feb 2014 -- A former Navy commander was handed a relatively lenient sentence of six years by the Taiwan High Court's Kaohsiung Branch Court Wednesday for 'preparing to' conduct espionage activities for Beijing.
US Intel Chief: Karzai Unlikely to Sign US-Afghan Pact VOA 11 Feb 2014 -- America's top intelligence official says Afghan President Hamid Karzai is unlikely to sign a security agreement with the United States, leaving the long-term relationship between the two countries undefined as U.S. combat troops withdraw.
Intelligence Leaders Detail Global Threats to Senate Panel AFPS 11 Feb 2014 -- Global threats most critical to U.S. national security include Syria's civil war and its spillover, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and deep cuts to America's defense budget, two top intelligence leaders told a Senate panel here this morning.
Espionage suspect released on bail CNA 11 Feb 2014 -- A former CNA reporter suspected of trying to collect sensitive information for China was released on NT$200,000 (US$6,600) bail early Tuesday and banned from traveling overseas pending further investigations.
US Navy Veteran Jailed for Trying to Spy for Russia RIA Novosti 11 Feb 2014 -- A retired US Navy officer has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for attempting to spy for Russia, the FBI said.
Ex-US Navy cipher officer gets 30 years in jail for attempt to transfer secrets to Russia Voice of Russia 11 Feb 2014 -- A court in Norfolk, Virginia, on Monday passed a guilty verdict on Robert Hoffman II, a retired cipher officer of the US Navy, and sentenced him to 30 years in jail for an ostensible attempt of espionage for Russia.
Gitmo suspects may be questioned on alleged CIA secret prison in Poland Voice of Russia 11 Feb 2014 -- Polish prosecutors are pondering whether to make an official request to the US to gain access to terror suspects currently held at Guantanamo Bay in order to carry out a direct questioning on whether a secret CIA prison operated in Poland in 2002-2003, an official has said on Thursday.
Espionage suspect questioned, homes searched CNA 10 Feb 2014 -- Prosecutors and investigators Monday searched the Taipei home of a former reporter who allegedly collected intelligence for Beijing, along with a Taichung home belonging to her parents.
Russia Delays Tests of UAE-Made Drone RIA Novosti 10 Feb 2014 -- The Russian military has postponed tests of a high-endurance drone until an unspecified future date, a spokesperson for the United Arab Emirates company that makes the vehicle said Monday.
Snowden beat NSA with cheap software: report Iran Press TV 09 Feb 2014 -- US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden used cheap and widely available software to gain access to top secret documents, a senior intelligence official told The New York Times.
UK spies accused of using 'dirty tricks' to trap targets Iran Press TV 09 Feb 2014 -- New Leaks show that British spies have employed "dirty tricks" to trap nations, hackers, terror groups, arms dealers and suspected criminals.
Snowden programmed Googlebot-like crawler to collect NSA data Voice of Russia 09 Feb 2014 -- The fugitive US whistleblower Edward Snowden who alerted the world to America's dragnet data collecting programs run by the National Security Agency reportedly used a Googlebot-like crawler program to scoop tons of files on the spy agency's online activities.
NSA collects under 30% of phone call records despite effort to get it all Voice of Russia 08 Feb 2014 -- The National Security Agency collects less than 30 percent of all US phone calls, much less than previously thought, according to media reports.
Retired Armenian Police Officer Arrested For Spying For Azerbaijan RFE/RL 05 Feb 2014 -- Armenian security officers have arrested a former police officer on allegations of spying for Azerbaijan.
Two Georgians Sentenced For Espionage Released RFE/RL 05 Feb 2014 -- Two Georgian citizens serving terms in Russia for espionage have been granted early release.
Snowden leaks lead Pentagon to costly changes - US official Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- A top US military intelligence official said Tuesday that the Pentagon will have to make costly changes to programs and personnel because of leaks by former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden.
British spy unit launches DOS cyber-attack on Anonymous - Snowden leak Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- Edward Snowden's latest leak reveals that a division of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) launched a denial-of-service (DOS) attack against chat servers used by hacktivists, particularly Anonymous and LulzSec.
Top US Officials Say Snowden Leaks Prompted Defense Changes VOA 04 Feb 2014 -- Top U.S. intelligence officials say leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have put members of all branches of the U.S. military and other U.S. personnel abroad at risk, and that the Pentagon has had to make costly changes. The officials testified to a congressional panel about worldwide threats to U.S. national security.
Nation Faces Many Threats, Intelligence Chief Says AFPS 04 Feb 2014 -- Never in his more than 50 years of intelligence experience has the nation been beset by more crises and threats from around the world than it now faces, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper said today during a House hearing on worldwide threats.
Canada's CSEC defends spying through Wi-Fi Iran Press TV 04 Feb 2014 -- The Canadian intelligence agency has defended spying through the wireless internet service at a major airport, claiming it would not be able to locate its targets without the technology.
Eight Mossad spies to stand trial in Egypt Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2014 -- Five Israelis and three Egyptian nationals are to stand trial in absentia on charges of spying for Israeli's Mossad secret service, Egypt judicial sources say.
NSA suspected of hacking into Belgian cryptographer's computer Voice of Russia 02 Feb 2014 -- The Belgian authorities have launched an inquiry into a fresh instance of computer hacking.

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