Case Study Chapter 10

Case 1: Stopping Insider Threats: Edward Snowden and the NSA

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10-51, 10-52, and 10-53

Case 1: Stopping Insider Threats: Edward Snowden and the NSA Insider threatstrusted adversaries who operate within an organization's boundariesare a significant danger to both private and public sectors and are often cited as the greatest threat to an organization. Although insider threats such as disgruntled employees or ex-employees, contractors, business partners, or auditors can cause various threats to organizations, insider threats in the right places may even have serious diplomatic consequences. In June 2013, major news agenciesincluding The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The New York Timesbegan publishing news articles about a global surveillance program being orchestrated by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) in cooperation with intelligence agencies from several other countries. The source of information for these news stories was Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and former contractor for the NSA. Snowden provided these news agencies with hundreds of thousands of classified documents that he acquired during his contract work with the NSA. His motivation for leaking these documents was to reveal to the public the nature and extent of government surveillance of the everyday electronic activities of its citizens. The leaked documents revealed a staggering amount of surveillance being executed. Individuals' personal email and instant message contact lists were being harvested, email content was being routinely searched, certain cell phone call records and location information was being tracked, and even users of online games such as World of Warcraft were being monitored and analyzed. Snowden claimed that the NSA's surveillance activities were not limited to protecting national security but instead consisted of gratuitous surveillance of everyday citizens and businesses. In a 2013 letter, Snowden wrote, \"there is a huge difference between legal programs, legitimate spying ... and these programs of dragnet mass surveillance that put entire populations under an all- seeing eye and save copies forever . . . These programs were never about terrorism: they're about economic spying, social control, and diplomatic manipulation. They're about power.\" The Snowden leaks, which reveal a great many U.S. intelligence secrets beyond the NSA's surveillance activities, have been called the most damaging breach of national security in history. The U.S. Department of Justice charged Snowden with espionage, and he will face trial if he returns to the United States. Snowden currently resides in Russia, where he has been granted permanent residency, but not permanent political asylum. Snowden is variously called a hero, a whistleblower, a dissident, a traitor, and a patriot. In early 2016, he said he was willing to return to the United States for trial if he was \"guaranteed a fair trial and is allowed to mount a public interest defense of his actions.\" Regardless of whether you support the NSA's surveillance activities and regardless of whether you agree with Snowden's actions, the events described here were clearly the result of an insider threat who exploited vulnerabilities in a system. Edward Snowden was a trusted contractor for the NSA and was granted wide access to classified data because of his role as a security administrator and analyst. While the Snowden revelations initiated widespread debate on the legality and morality of government electronic surveillance policies, these events have also sparked renewed interest from governments and companies regarding effective means of reducing insider threats. Questions 10-51. Choose a large company that many people are familiar with. How could this company be damaged by insider threats? 10-52. How can companies reduce insider threats? 10-53. Research the Snowden leaks on the web. How was Snowden able to gain access to so many classified documents? Based on: Edward Snowden. (2020, July 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https:/ / en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edward_Snowden&oldid=967881128 Kegu, J. (2019, September 16). Edward Snowden wants to come home: "I'm not asking for a pass. What I'm asking for is a fair trial." CBS This Morning. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.comews/edward-snowden-nsa-cbs-this-morning-interview-today-2019- 09-16based on. Edward Snowden. (2020, July 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https:/ /en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edward_Snowden&oldid=967881128 Kegu, J. (2019, September 16). Edward Snowden wants to come home: "I'm not asking for a pass. What I'm asking for is a fair trial." CBS This Morning. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https:/ /www.cbsnews.com ews/ edward-snowden-nsa-cbs-this-morning-interview-today-2019- 09-16 MacAskill, E. (2019, September 13). Snowden. The Guardian. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https:/ /www.theguardian.com/us-newsginteractive/2019/sep/13/edward-snowden- interview-whistleblowingrussia-ai-permanent-record