As the Obama Administration learned of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, it decided to authorize a secret cyber operation against the country. According to The Washington Post, intelligence agencies worked together to use tools that hadn’t been employed since the 2011 raid against Osama bin Laden.
Among the efforts from the NSA, CIA, and others was the placement of “implants” in critical Russian networks. Those implants were left in place in case the US needed to respond to a severe move by Russia.
The report also says Obama, CIA director John Brennan, and others had four “blunt” conversations with the Russians about their hacking beginning August 4. One of the confrontations was in-person when Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin were meeting in China last September.
Russia denied any involvement in the hacking, despite it being clear the government was connected to the operations.
While Obama was able to authorize the implant program, he wasn’t in office long enough to see the program entirely carried out. However, President Trump reportedly hasn’t put a stop to the effort.
