Information security

Democrat (and ex-CIA): Bogus leaks and what to believe. How to vet your news like an agent

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s warning about anonymous media reports rightfully calls our attention to a growing crisis: Americans are being overwhelmed by a waterfall of highly questionable leaks about the drama in Washington, D.C.

Some of the gossip is fairly predictable, like the jockeying of power between White House staffers or dueling Congressmen.

But Rosenstein’s worry is focused on another, more dangerous trend: the unsanctioned release of sensitive or classified information by a group of shadowy sources. 

As a former CIA officer, I share Rosenstein’s concern because I worked with these same types of informants. In the world of espionage, we called them “volunteers.” In short, these people tracked down intelligence officers to peddle information.