Information security

Security clearance loophole allowed ex-NSA hackers to work for UAE

How do you keep a coveted top-secret U.S. government security clearance while working for a foreign spy service? That question vexed U.S. intelligence operatives recruited to work as contractors for a secret United Arab Emirates hacking team.

But maintaining this privileged status, which allows access to America’s most sensitive secrets, wouldn’t be a problem, operatives say their employer told them.

In an arrangement that highlights a potential weakness in how Washington oversees an army of contractors engaged in classified projects, American recruits told Reuters they were allowed to maintain the U.S. intelligence community’s stamp of approval even after involving themselves in foreign hacking operations.

Security clearances are powerful tools. Having a “Top Secret” designation allows a U.S. contractor to be briefed on carefully guarded government information.