'Shattered': Inside the secret battle to save America's undercover spies in the digital age

government — stole data on nearly 22 million former and current American civil servants, including intelligence officials.

The familiar trope of Jason Bourne movies and John le Carré novels where spies open secret safes filled with false passports and interchangeable identities is already a relic, say former officials — swept away by technological changes so profound that they're forcing the CIA to reconsider everything from how and where it recruits officers to where it trains potential agency personnel.

But the project, which has not been previously reported on, was battered by bureaucratic resistance and hollowed out by financial and administrative neglect; it died an unceremonious death over the last few years. What began as a bold experiment was eventually reduced to what other agency officials saw as simply an expensive proposal to design an open-office floor plan for CIA outposts around the world, say two former intelligence officials.

Whether the U.S. intelligence agencies will be able to make these radical changes is unclear, but without a fundamental transformation, officials warn, the nation faces an unprecedented crisis in its ability to collect human intelligence. While some believe that a return to tried and true tradecraft will be sufficient to protect undercover officers, others fear the business of human spying is in mortal peril and that the crisis will ultimately force the U.S.

Italian investigators, eager to get to the bottom of the audacious abduction on their streets, were later able to track a web of cellphones communicating only with each other in close proximity to the disappearance, leading them to a series of hotel bills, credit card statements and other identifying indicators, according to a 2007 investigation unveiled at an annual hacker conference in 2013.

In the 2000s, the explosion in biometrics — such as fingerprints, facial recognition and iris scans — propelled the conversation forward, according to multiple former intelligence officials. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that in many parts of the world, within a short time, all alias work would likely become impossible.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Inside 10 Of The World’s Most Over-The-Top Hotel SuitesThere comes a time when great is no longer good enough. Some occasions call for grand. Nowhere is this truer than this Forbes Travel Guide list of opulent accommodations
Source: Forbes - 🏆 394. / 53 Read more »

Kanye’s Second Coming: Inside The Billion-Dollar Yeezy EmpireKanye West has one of the biggest hits of the decade—and it has nothing to do with music. His Yeezy sneaker empire is the best bet in a generation to topple Air Jordan. Sometimes it pays to be a control freak. And that is how GODS grace and favor moves!! Topple Air Jordan? Give me a break 😂 He told y’all! He want to be like Picasso or Walt Disney.... why not?!
Source: Forbes - 🏆 394. / 53 Read more »

Inside 10 Of The World’s Most Over-The-Top Hotel SuitesFrom Santa Barbara to Shanghai, Forbes Travel Guide’s editors found opulent accommodations that go above and beyond to treat you like royalty. 👍
Source: Forbes - 🏆 394. / 53 Read more »

Inside Tekashi 6ix9ine's Music Video HouseWe'll Bet He Wishes He Was Here Now: Inside Tekashi 6ix9ine's Music Video House Looks like Tony Montana's place. Amazing how they can turn a piece of cardboard into that as a background
Source: TMZ - 🏆 379. / 59 Read more »

Glitter, Pom-Poms & Murder: Inside The Mind Of Dare Me's Showrunner, Megan AbbottMegan Abbott, the beloved crime writer, has adapted Dare Me, her novel about cheerleading and murder for tv. We talked with her about the USA show, noir, and the complexities of teenage girls.
Source: Refinery29 - 🏆 26. / 68 Read more »

Suspect shoots and kills 2 inside a Texas church before parishioners fatally shoot himThree people were shot at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, on Sunday, Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Mike Drivdahl said. Saved by a good guy with a gun. When I prophesied this event that killing will take place during a church service that Pastors needed to arm some believers to react to such situations, I was mocked by some preachers. TzipiHotovely cindytrimm JoyceMeyer BishopJakes davidjeremiah God takes a rest day while his followers are killed. Unable to help as usual.
Source: cnnbrk - 🏆 393. / 55 Read more »