(HorizonPost.com) – The titles for federal government bureaucrats can be a bit cumbersome, and prior to her suspension, Katie Arrington’s was no different: Chief Information Security Officer in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Acquisition and Sustainment (CISO A&S). The National Security Agency (NSA) temporarily withdrew her security clearances while investigations are underway to determine if she inappropriately leaked classified information.
The Pentagon official who has been overseeing its new cybersecurity initiative for defense contractors has been placed on leave in connection with a suspected unauthorized disclosure of classified information from a military intelligence agency. https://t.co/J6Cz2wEYB4
— Newsmax (@newsmax) June 29, 2021
The former two-term state Congresswoman from South Carolina was one of the top people working on bolstering cybersecurity measures for defense contractors after the breach on the Colonial Pipeline allegedly perpetrated by agents sympathetic to the Russian government. As Arrington’s attorney pointed out, the investigation and suspension are just standard operating procedures and don’t imply any accusation or proof of wrongdoing.
So far, there’s been no announcement regarding what set off the investigation, what information may have been compromised, what potential charges might be leveled or who they might charge. The uptick of attacks by agents in Russia and the People’s Republic of China has put cybersecurity issues front and center in the minds of lawmakers and investigators at every level of government. Any potential breaches are taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly.
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