Just as it did with the Edward Snowden documents, the DNC leaks and the John Podesta emails, WikiLeaks is planning to continue releasing its CIA documents over an extended period of time.
And while the nearly 9,000 documents is an astounding treasure trove of information, it represents just a tiny fraction of what is to come, according to the pro-government transparency organization. In a tweet on Wednesday, the group declared: “WikiLeaks has released less than 1% of its #Vault7 series in its Part One publication yesterday ‘Year Zero.'”
WikiLeaks obtained the CIA files after the agency “lost control” of them as they began making the rounds within a group of thousands of hackers and contractors who previously worked for the U.S. government. The organization says it received the documents from one of them, prompting FBI and CIA investigations into the leak.
The information provided by WikiLeaks has already had a major impact. Some analysts predict the long-term impact will be much more substantial than the Edward Snowden leaks. Here’s a summary of some of the immediate impacts, so far:
- WikiLeaks reports that several tech companies have reached out to them, seeking more details of CIA attack techniques in order to fix them faster. It posted a poll on its Twitter feed, asking if it should help them out.
- The Chinese government has expressed its “concern” over the CIA revelations and—despite its own notorious reputation—has denounced all government-sponsored hacking activities. This will no doubt have an impact on President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring the Chinese to task for its own activities.
- Microsoft has called for a “Geneva Convention” of digital and technology companies to get them to band together to protect civilians from peacetime government hacking and digital espionage.
- Reuters is reporting that one technology company has already identified one hacking technique it had previously attributed to either Russia or China as coming from the CIA based on information in the Vault 7 documents.
- Germany’s chief criminal prosecutor has launched an investigation into the CIA’s hacking program.
The CIA has issued the following response to the document dump:
We have no comment on the authenticity of purported intelligence documents released by WikiLeaks or on the status of any investigation into the source of the documents. However, there are several critical points we would like to make:
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- CIA’s mission is to aggressively collect foreign intelligence overseas to protect Americans from terrorists, hostile nation states and other adversaries. It is CIA’s job to be innovative, cutting-edge and the first line of defense in protecting this country from enemies abroad. America deserves nothing less.
- It is also important to note that CIA is legally prohibited from conducting electronic surveillance targeting individuals here at home, including our fellow Americans and CIA does not do so. CIA’s activities are subject to rigorous oversight to ensure that they comply fully with U.S. law and the Constitution.
- The American public should be deeply troubled by any WikiLeaks disclosure designed to damage the Intelligence Community’s ability to protect America against terrorists and other adversaries. Such disclosures not only jeopardize U.S. personnel and operations, but also equip our adversaries with tools and information to do us harm.
WikiLeaks will hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. EST to address the CIA’s response. {eoa}
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