The recent Pentagon Leaks by a low ranking Guardsman has raised many questions about the security of State Secrets. Leon Penetta, Former CIA Director, Defense Secretary, and Chief of Staff, spoke about the classified information leaks and suggested steps which should be taken to prevent such incidents.
Panneta said that the Guardsman should not have had access to such classified information. He believes that access control to such sensitive information needs to be very strong and security measures need to be tightened to prevent such theft and leak. Panetta expressed concern about the magnitude of the damage caused by the release of the Pentagaon documents, as it affects national security but also damages relationships with allies. He said that everyone collects intelligence about their allies but when exposed it back fires by damaging relations.
Panetta recommends that all possible actions should be taken from the perspective of Sensitive Document Protection. Review of existing policies to classify information should be done immediately. Review of access granted to several individuals should be done. A review process on clearances should be put in place. Lastly, social media needs to be monitored aggressively as this is the future. Social media oversight is the key nowadays.
He slammed the Far Right leaders and advocates. Protecting classified information is imperative to National Security and is the responsibility of the people in power.
Leon Panetta emphasised the importance of taking urgent steps to prevent such leaks of sensitive information.
To read our article on Chinese Economic Espionage in the USA click here
