Julian Hattem at The Hill reports that:
“These are unacceptable facts that have already been the subject of clarification between the US and France,” he added. “Commitments were made by the U.S. authorities. They need to be recalled and strictly respected.”
The indignation is a bit thick, especially coming from the French. Big time governments spy. On friends and on enemies. But it is better not to get caught so as to spare us all the cheap theatrics.
Whatever the NSA may have learned about the intentions of the French leadership, it is a small beer compared to what the Chinese (almost certainly) got from the recent massive hack on U.S. Office of Personnel Management databases. This is very big medicine and would seem, at the very least, to call for some sort of overwhelming digital retaliation. Of which the U.S. must certainly be capable. Hard to imagine that our geeks are, if not the best in the world, then at least world class.
General Michael Hayden, former head of the NSA and the CIA, is unsparing on the U.S. cyber failures here.
Among the general’s insights:
This wasn’t that. This was legitimate state espionage, one government going after another for information that could contribute to its national security. As Director of the National Security Agency, given the opportunity against similar Chinese information, I would not have hesitated for a second…and I wouldn’t have had to get anyone’s permission to do it.
And, regarding the government’s response to this catastrophic digital cyber defeat:
Then OPM, as required by law, began notifying folks whose personal information had likely been compromised. Tens of thousands of emails were sent directing government employees to — wait for it — click on the embedded hyperlink to take advantage of the data breach protection services being offered. Recognizing that just such an action (a spear fishing attack) had likely enabled the original breach, the Department of Defense (DoD) directed its employees to trash the OPM message.
As the general sums it up:
