As Uncle Sam Cracks Down on Leaks, A Look At Ten Infamous Insiders

In the wake of Cablegate, the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of confidential diplomatic cables by the whistle blower site Wikileaks, the Obama Administration is cracking down on loose data management practices of the type that made Cablegate possible. But could you spot a malicious insider cheating your organization? Threatpost takes a look at ten infamous insiders in a new slide show.

InsiderIn the wake of Cablegate, the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of confidential diplomatic cables by the whistle blower site Wikileaks, the Obama Administration is cracking down on loose data management practices of the type that made Cablegate possible. But could you spot a malicious insider cheating your organization? Threatpost takes a look at ten infamous insiders in a new slide show.

In the wake of Cablegate, the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of confidential diplomatic cables by the whistle blower site Wikileaks, the Obama Administration is cracking down on loose data management practices of the type that made Cablegate possible. 

According to published reports, the White House has directed Federal agencies to review how they manage classified national security information, and asked them  to comply with directives from the Office of Management and Budget to identify vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the security measures protecting systems that hold classified data.

But the record shows that malicious insiders like PFC Bradley Manning are notoriously difficult to spot, let alone stop. Manning is the 22 year-old intelligence analyst alleged to have pilfered the trove of documents that Wikileaks is now publishing. What do malicious insiders look like? Threatpost has put together a lilst of 10 individuals responsible for eye-popping breaches of security and confidentiality. The list shows that most are more senior than lowly PFC Manning, with legitimate rights to access the data that they steal and pass on. Their motives for double crossing their employer run the gamut: from idealism (Manning) to desperation, to flat out greed (a common motive).

Check out  Threatpost’s List of Infamous Insiders here

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