A Pentagon review has blamed its security and oversight measures, arguing that they have failed to keep pace with the proliferation of military facilities that handle classified information.
Authorities have ordered the tightening of classified information control following the Discord leak conducted by 21-year-old Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira. Furthermore, the review that was made public on Wednesday concluded that the Defense Department does not have a systemic problem in keeping its secrets tucked away.
Pentagon Tightens Classified Information Control
In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III ordered a 45-day Pentagon policies and procedures review. The order came after Teixeira was accused of posting a trove of classified documents online.
The suspect pleaded not guilty last month to six counts of federal criminal charges against him related to the allegations. After authorities arrested Teixeira, the Pentagon tightened security controls on access to classified information.
However, Austin directed his top aides to determine how big of a security problem the Pentagon had following the Discord leak. The report concluded that there was neither a "single point of failure" to explain Teixeira's disclosures nor any widespread breakdown in the military's procedures for handling and overseeing sensitive materials, as per the New York Times.
The defense secretary said most Defense Department employees authorized to handle classified material were deemed trustworthy. He added that they complied with procedures to safeguard those secrets to the best of their abilities.
Authorities noted that the goal of the assessment was not to hinder information sharing between Pentagon personnel and other United States government employees working to ensure the country's security.
However, the review also found that the rapid growth in the number of military facilities and people authorized to handle classified information, particularly following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, far outpaced the ability of the military to keep that information secure.
Jack Teixeira Discord Leak
The Pentagon said it was already taking measures to change how classified information is accessed to better keep track of potential "insider threats." According to the Washington Post, a senior US defense official said that the Pentagon would improve how it monitors which classified documents are being viewed and whether or not the individuals who access them have a valid reason to do so.
The official said there are also plans to enhance physical security in and around the facilities where classified materials are made available to ensure they are kept from where they are being kept.
On Thursday, Teixeira was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on six charges under the Espionage Act. Authorities accuse the suspect of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to national defense.
The documents that the Air National Guardsman released include the location of US spy planes, estimates of Ukrainian and Russian casualties and equipment losses, and US assessments of Ukrainian forces, said USA Today.
