WikiLeaks touted its trove as exceeding in scale and significance the massive collection of National Security Agency documents exposed by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. A statement from WikiLeaks indicated that it planned to post nearly 9,000 files containing code developed in secret by the CIA to steal data from targets overseas and turn ordinary devices including cell phones, computers and even television sets into surveillance tools. The authenticity of the trove could not immediately be determined. Though primarily thought of as an agency that recruits spies, the CIA has taken on a larger role in electronic espionage over the past decade. CIA efforts mainly focus on so-called “close in” operations in which the agency at times relies on individuals to implant code on computer systems not connected to the Internet.

Source: National Post March 07, 2017 18:11 UTC