Spy Cables: what caused the leak?
It’s still unclear exactly how the so-called Spy Cables were leaked from South Africa’s State Security Agency, but it appears that centralisation of data sources, as well as poor process control, could have contributed to their exposure.
Al Jazeera, which is publishing the leaked documents over the next weeks, reports that a security assessment in 2009 concluded that the country’s secrets were at serious risk and would remain so for the long-term – a prognosis that would seem to have been borne out by the current leaks.
Digital leak is largest, most damaging
Al Jazeera is publishing details from hundreds of secret intelligence documents that it gained access to through what it describes as a “digital leak”. No further details have been forthcoming on how or where the leak occurred, although the DA has called on the Department of State Security to investigate the breach. Al Jazeera states that the so-called “Spy Cables” cover the period from 2006 to December 2014 and include briefings and analyses written by South African State Security Agency operatives.