Day 43.8 Summary - Sweet Tea and Pho Soup at NSA

NSA Cryptologic Centers

NSA/CSS has offices around the world and four cryptologic centers outside of the headquarters in Maryland within the United States.

Ex-NSA worker pleads guilty to taking data involved in Russian hack

The NSA hasn't been having the best week when it comes to security, but it's getting at least some closure. A former employee, now known as Nghia Pho, has to bringing home classified data that was later stolen in a hack linked to Russian intelligence. Pho is expected to face prison time when he's sentenced on April 6th, but prosecutors have capped the maximum penalty to 8 years (versus the typical 10) and are open to calls for a lighter sentence given the non-malicious nature of the case.

Pho took a mix of digital and physical info home between 2010 and 2015. According to New York Times sources, he was using it to rewrite his resume -- this was intentional, but not spiteful. The Russian hackers reportedly exploited the briefly held some NSA data, but there's no word on whether or not it held that data.

The plea is only going to help so much when the NSA has bigger fish to fry, such as the Shadow Brokers leaks (there's no indication that Pho is connected). It does show that the agency is racing to crack down on the multiple leaks it has suffered over recent months and years, however. The effort might also serve as a warning shot to NSA staff that may be tempted to leave with data, even if it's for innocuous reasons.

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Day 43.6 You Knew Reality Winner Was Coming Into the Story

Ex-NSA employee pleads guilty to taking classified info home

A onetime National Security Agency employee pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally taking home classified documents that were apparently later stolen from his personal computer by hackers working for the Kremlin.

Nghia Pho, 67, of Ellicott City, Md., pleaded guilty to one count of removal and retention of national defense information in federal court in Baltimore, an offense that carries a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars, The New York Times reported.

Pho’s lawyer, Robert Bonsib, can ask for a more lighter sentence, and his client remains free as he awaits sentencing.

Pho worked as a software developer for the NSA, but prosecutors kept a lid on most of the details of his responsibilities and of the criminal case against him because the information is part of an ongoing investigation into Russian hacking, the paper reported.

Pho is one of three NSA employees who was charged in the past two years with mishandling classified information.

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Day 228 - Hillary's Leakers, Hackers, and Henchmen: NGA, NSA & CJIS

Awans Working on CJIS, WVU, Mueller, Comey, McCabe, Morgantown and Clarksburg, WV 

 Hina Alvi, SUPARCO, OPEC, and Ryan DuPain 

 Who Will Be the Reality Winner? 

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