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0 pointsboramalper9mo ago0 comments

Israel, like any other state, must be using a variety of methods including good old "human intelligence" so it's not either-or.

In addition, saying that

> someone approached a low level employee at the MEAF who turned over a USB stick with the governments org charts and payroll records in exchange for their kids getting a full ride to a prestigious foreign university

is an oversimplification on multiple levels:

1. Low-level employees typically don't have access to sensitive information.

2. With human intelligence, there is always a risk that the person you (e.g. Israel) are in touch with (e.g. an Iranian officer) who pretends to be a "double agent" (e.g. leaking info to Israel), is in fact a "triple agent" (e.g. actually working for Iran to mislead Israel).

3. You can send your kids to foreign universities but not your siblings, your parents, your wife's family, and so on... Some of your beloved ones are almost certain to suffer the consequences of your actions. High treason is no joke.

0 comments

SirHumphrey9mo ago

> 1. Low-level employees typically don't have access to sensitive information.

You would think, but when I was interning (well, it was a paid internship) for a company, I was fixing an excel spreadsheet with payroll information for an entire department of a few hundred people. Not the best piece of "opsec", but when you are in a hurry (pay was due in a couple of days) and most people are on vacations "hey the junior kid can probably fix it, he seems fine" is a way too common approach. And it is fine - sometimes for a long time. Until it isn't.

aswanson9mo ago

Yeah I recall being a new hire at a defense contractor, getting a login, and accidentally opening an excel sheet with a ton of management user names and logins. People are sloppy.

bigfatkitten9mo ago

> 1. Low-level employees typically don't have access to sensitive information.

Snowden was a contract Sharepoint admin. He was on the absolute bottom of the org chart.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsboramalper9mo ago0 comments

Israel, like any other state, must be using a variety of methods including good old "human intelligence" so it's not either-or.

In addition, saying that

is an oversimplification on multiple levels:

1. Low-level employees typically don't have access to sensitive information.

0 comments

SirHumphrey9mo ago

> 1. Low-level employees typically don't have access to sensitive information.

aswanson9mo ago

Yeah I recall being a new hire at a defense contractor, getting a login, and accidentally opening an excel sheet with a ton of management user names and logins. People are sloppy.

bigfatkitten9mo ago

> 1. Low-level employees typically don't have access to sensitive information.

Snowden was a contract Sharepoint admin. He was on the absolute bottom of the org chart.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse