CIA: Americans 'should be deeply troubled' by WikiLeaks' disclosure

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March 8, 2017 10:02 PM

The CIA maintained that they have "no comment" on the veracity of the WikiLeaks documents.

Mike Pompeo

The CIA responded to WikiLeaks' disclosure of the agency's hacking arsenal on Wednesday afternoon, saying that Americans should be "deeply troubled" by the revelations.

"The American public should be deeply troubled by any WikiLeaks disclosure designed to damage the Intelligence Community's ability to protect America against terrorists or other adversaries," the statement read, according to NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Bradd Jaffy.

"Such disclosures not only jeopardize US personnel and operations, but also equip our adversaries with tools and information to do us harm," the statement continued.

The CIA maintained that they have "no comment" on whether the documents dumped by WikiLeaks on Tuesday morning are authentic. The documents outline the cyber tools and techniques the CIA uses for foreign espionage, including details about how the agency tries to hack into iPhones, Android phones, and Samsung TVs by infecting the devices with malware.

The CIA has insisted, however, that it does not target US citizens for surveillance, which is "legally prohibited."

"CIA's mission is to aggressively collect foreign intelligence overseas to protect America from terrorists, hostile nation states and other adversaries," the statement read. "CIA is legally prohibited from conducting electronic surveillance targeting individuals here at home, and the CIA does not do so."

The agency said it is "subject to rigorous oversight" to ensure its activities "comply fully with US law and the Constitution."

Cybersecurity experts told Business Insider's Natasha Bertrand that the leaks are a "big hit" to the CIA, and could set its cyberintelligence teams back by "at least a year."

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