SecurityCommentary

How the Information Nabbed in the OPM Hacking Helps Chinese Spies

(Photo: Rafael Ben-Ari/Chameleons Eye/Newscom)

Former Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet famously said when asked about so-called open source (unclassified) intelligence, “we only pay for secrets.” He spoke with the confidence of a man born and raised in the world of the 20th century spy and the Cold War. With the massive leak of government employee information from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Tenet’s statement has been proven quite wrong for the 21st century. China and others are willing to pay for “non-secrets” and they matter.

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