Former U.S. Contractor Accused of Stealing Hacking Documents from Government Archives

Booz Allen Hamilton's erstwhile contractor Harold T. Martin was recently accused over a suspected theft of files documented under CYBERCOM (Cyber Command), CIA and NSA along with other government property that included thorough delineation of techniques and tactics to conduct digital surveillance worldwide. Martin's detention during August 2016 was followed with confirmation of official charges against him on February 9, 2017.

Prosecutors explained that Mr. Martin picked some extremely classified documents, while stacked those docs inside his car and in his residence. In the week of February 9, according to The Washington Post, of the entire material Martin picked, 75% of hacking programs were included which belonged to the Tailored Access Operations, a particularly high privileged hacking division inside NSA. Arstechnica.com posted this, February 9, 2017.

There were twenty specific documents, according to the indictment, which Martin reportedly picked, with one being an NSA leadership instructions manual of March 2014 highlighting the creation as also plans ahead related to one particular NSA organization.

Also as per the indictment, Martin is blamed for stealing certain volumes of data that he took home during 1996 to 2016, when he was occupied in different stints of US state contractor within various agencies. The stolen data contained one 2014 report which highlighted NSA's 'offshore cyber intrusion methodologies' as well as one operational document related to highly sensitive operations and planning by the US government for curbing global terrorism. Prosecutors also listed one guide that Martin stole which told the procedure for using one 'intelligence collection tool' of NSA.

Further, all through last year, Martin pilfered 4 files from CYBERCOM which had details about U.S military's targets and capabilities. Before that during 2007, he took one CIA file regarding sources and methods of collecting foreign intelligence, the indictment stated.

Martin's advocates, however, defended Martin's no-harm attitude towards his country. He was just taking the allegedly stolen materials home for studying leisurely. They said Martin was one 'compulsive hoarder' rather than another Edward Snowden.

Martin shall be in Baltimore, facing federal judge on 14th February, 2017 at 11:00am ET when if convicted he'd likely get a maximum of 10-yrs for every count.

» SPAMfighter News - 2/14/2017