An staff of the United States Countrywide Security Company (NSA) has been accused of sending national protection techniques from his individual email account.
A 26-rely indictment unsealed Thursday in the District of Maryland alleges that 60-year-aged Mark Robert Unkenholz willfully transmitted categorized Nationwide Defense Info (NDI) on 13 occasions concerning February 14 2018 and June 1 2020.
Unkenholz, of Hanover, Maryland, held a Top Top secret/SCI clearance and had lawful obtain to categorised info relating to nationwide protection the Department of Justice’s Business of Public Affairs explained as “closely held by the federal government.”
Nationwide security details, categorised as Best Top secret, Mystery or Private, can only be accessed by men and women with the correct security clearance and can only be saved in an approved facility and container.
The indictment alleges that Unkenholz sent categorised NDI to one more person who was not licensed to receive it, in spite of recognizing that the info could be used to the detriment of the United States or to the benefit of any international nation.
Unkenholz allegedly transmitted the insider secrets from his personal email deal with to the recipient’s personal company email addresses. He is additional accused of retaining the categorized NDI within just his individual email account.
The unique who acquired the data had previously held a Major Secret/SCI clearance from April 2016 right up until roughly June 2019 although used at a company referred to in the indictment as Enterprise 1.
Nonetheless, the individual was operating at a diverse enterprise, referred to in the indictment as Company 2, from July 2019 until somewhere around January 2021. As a result, the specific was not licensed to accessibility, or acquire, labeled data in the course of this time.
Neither Unkenholz’s personalized email handle nor the organization email address to the specific who allegedly received the magic formula protection information and facts was approved storage spots for labeled NDI.
Unkenholz was arrested on Thursday morning and billed with 13 counts of willful transmission of NDI and 13 counts of willful retention of NDI. If convicted, he faces a optimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for each and every rely with which he is billed.
On Thursday afternoon, right before a federal court in Baltimore, Unkenholz pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Some parts of this article are sourced from:
www.infosecurity-journal.com