Security News > 2022 > July > Former CIA Engineer Convicted of Leaking 'Vault 7' Hacking Secrets to WikiLeaks

Joshua Schulte, a former programmer with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, has been found guilty of leaking a trove of classified hacking tools and exploits dubbed Vault 7 to WikiLeaks.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that Schulte was convicted for "One of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history," adding his actions had a "Devastating effect on our intelligence community by providing critical intelligence to those who wish to do us harm."

The Associated Press reported that prosecutors argued Schulte orchestrated the leak as retribution for disrespecting and ignoring his complaints about the work environment.

In a fascinating profile about Schulte last month, The New Yorker painted the picture of a disgruntled employee, describing him as "Abrasive," "Opinionated," and "Obstreperous" during his time at the agency until November 2016, when he joined Bloomberg.

Schulte, who has been residing at the Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of the trial, has compared his confinement conditions to a "Torture cage" and as something "Below that of impoverished persons living in third world countries." He is also said to have converted to Islam, observing a month of daytime fasting during Ramadan.

"Joshua Adam Schulte was a CIA programmer with access to some of the country's most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe," Williams said.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2022/07/former-cia-engineer-convicted-of.html