A significant development is that 32-year-old Jareh Sebastian Dalke, a former NSA employee, was found guilty of attempted espionage and sentenced to 262 months in prison. The terrible repercussions of violating the confidence placed in those tasked with safeguarding material related to national defence have been brought to light by this case.
Background NSA Employee
NSA stands for the National Security Agency, which is a U.S. government agency responsible for collecting, processing, and analyzing intelligence and information from foreign communications and signals.
Dalke worked for the NSA from June 6 to July 1, 2022, as an Information Systems Security Designer. In a startling change of events, he acknowledged that between August and September 2022, he had sent portions of three sensitive documents to someone he thought to be a Russian agent. But the person turned out to be a clandestine FBI employee working online.
The covert act of obtaining private or secret information from foreign governments or organizations without authorization is called espionage, or spying. It includes a variety of clandestine operations such as cyber espionage, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and human intelligence (HUMINT).
In order to gather important intelligence, spies, also known as intelligence operatives, work covertly to break into groups, make relationships, intercept conversations, or breach computer systems. Although espionage is generally forbidden by international law and carries harsh consequences, it can offer important insights into the intents and capabilities of adversaries.
Espionage is a tool used by governments to evaluate dangers, develop foreign policy objectives, and guide national security plans. Espionage-derived intelligence aids nations in anticipating adversary movements, spotting weaknesses, and defending against possible dangers.
However, in order to prevent unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information and to safeguard national interests, espionage activities are strictly regulated and supervised by laws and intelligence organizations. Despite being hidden, espionage continues to be a prominent aspect of present-day geopolitics, impacting international relations and reshaping the dynamics of global security.
The Classified Documents
The aforementioned documents were classified as Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and included National Defense Information (NDI). During his time working for the NSA, Dalke was able to obtain these materials. To show that he had “legitimate access and willingness to share,” Dalke sent emails using an encrypted account.
The Sting Operation
The FBI was keeping a tight eye on Dalke’s activities. Dalke asked for $85,000 in exchange for all the information he had on or around August 26, 2022. He informed the FBI online undercover employee that further information would be shared after he returned to the Washington, D.C. area and asserted that the material would be valuable to Russia.
Dalke being employee of NSA then made plans to deliver further confidential material he had with him to the alleged Russian spy at Union Station in downtown Denver. Dalke uploaded five files, four of which were Top Secret NDI, using a laptop computer and the guidance given by the FBI online undercover employee.
Another file had a message that starts, “My friends!” in Russian and Cyrillic letters and goes on to say, among other things, “I am extremely delighted to finally deliver this information to you… I’m excited about our friendship and mutual gain. If there are any desired documents, do let me know and I will make an effort to locate them when I go back to my main office. On September 28, 2023, just seconds after he sent the files, Dalke was taken into custody by the FBI.
The Verdict
As a condition of his plea deal, Dalke acknowledged that he knowingly sent files to the FBI’s undercover online employee, believing that the information would be used to harm the US and assist Russia. Trial attorneys Christina A. Clark and Adam L. Small of the NSA Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia K. Martinez and Jena R. Neuscheler for the District of Colorado, prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Washington and Denver Field Offices looked into the case.
This case serves as an alarming indication of the grave penalties meted out to individuals who violate the confidence the country has placed in them. It emphasizes how dedicated the American legal system is to making these people answerable for their deeds.
