A DHS memo recently sent out to employees warns that workers found reading about the NSA leaks online could lose their job or be otherwise penalized.
The Department of Homeland Security, DHS, does not oversee the National Security Agency, as it is Defense Department agency. However, the recent intelligence leaks have had a chilling effect on all US security operations, including the DHS.
Recent leaks by the now infamous former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, have caused a substantial up roar in the US intelligence community.
Snowden is still currently in legal limbo at the Moscow airport, still seeking asylum from US prosecutors who want to arrest and charge the whistleblower as a traitor.
Regardless of their connection to the scandal, officials at DHS are clearly siding with the NSA. The recent internal memo to DHS workers reinforces this.
People employed by the DHS who view the Snowden leaks article, published by The Washington Post , “may be violating your non-disclosure agreement” in which workers have pledged to “protect classified national security information.”
Naturally, The Washington Post got their hands on the memo, headed with the title “SECURITY ALERT ***Washington Post Article***.” In it, DHS officials direct subordinates to not click on a specific article about the Snowden leaks on an “Unclassified government workstation.”
The memo explains that the NSA slides included in the Washington Post article are still considered classified. As such, if anyone views the article it would be considered “Classified Data Spillage” and could lead to the loss of one’s job.
It is unknown whether other federal agencies are giving notices to their employees similar to the DHS memo .
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