Pentagon Says Defense Officials Cracking Down On Access After Leak

Following the leak of classified documents, a Pentagon official stated on Monday that the Department of Defense ( DoD) is working to reduce the number of people with access to sensitive information.

As part of a” long-term” review, officials are” culling through” distribution lists as well as looking into other issues like printing access, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Singh acknowledged that” decisions have already been taken” in an effort to stop the flow of private information, but she could not give” exact values” on who had access revoked.

She continued,” We have to make sure that the program members or our citizens have what they need to be able to do their job, but also that it is on a need-to-know ground.”

The DoD reports that an interagency review is currently being conducted to evaluate the veracity and potential effects on national security of images that have started to appear on social media in recent months, starting with Discord and revealing what appeared to be top-secret information about China, Russia’s’s war in Ukraine, surveillance projects, and other topics. A judicial investigation into the matter was also launched by the Department of Justice in response to a recommendation from the DoD.

Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was detained and charged in connection with the hole next week. According to a criminal complaint, Teixeira was assigned to an intelligence division in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and his primary position was notebook network technician.

Many of the information that appeared online, according to a U.S. defence official, appear to have been prepared for Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military leaders. However, he stressed that these details would be widely accessible to those with the necessary certification.

According to some of the picture, folded and crumpled-up articles were printed on paper. Pictures of several of the articles were published by Newsweek on Sunday.

A DoD post-leak judgment is anticipated to produce initial findings and recommendations for protecting classified information in 45 days at the request of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Singh said.

A” very strong vetting process when it comes to something being able to have a security clearance ,” the Pentagon spokesperson added, but she added that there might be parts that need to be improved upon while the survey is being conducted.