WikiLeaks Collected Data From P2P Networks

A company called Tiversa is engaged in providing “P2P Intelligence services”. It recently made an interesting report, revealing some examples in which information published on WikiLeaks appeared to first have been exposed by government employees that used file-sharing programs on PCs containing sensitive information.

It’s not the first time that the reports emerge, saying that classified data is being inadvertently available on file-sharing networks. The public has already seen Congress holding a number of hearings proclaiming the chances of a so-called “cyber Pearl Harbour.”

Usually it was suggested that the information has been sought by spies, or “bad actors”. However, no-one has ever considered that the information would be collected and leaked by individuals with good intentions.

According to Tiversa, it has collected evidence proving that the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks may have used some P2P clients to collect classified data. Meanwhile, WikiLeaks CEO, Robert Boback, announced that it is doing searches themselves on P2P networks, and that there would be no chance that somebody else from Sweden is issuing the same searches and finding the same type of data. WikiLeaks claimed that the accusations are entirely false, but the company is pointing at the list of coincidences.

For example, in 2009 Tiversa detected 4 Swedish PCs that have been searching for and downloading content on file-sharing networks. It turned out that their searches resulted in finding a computer of Department of Defence in Hawaii sharing some survey file of the Pacific Missile Range Facility. The file, of course, was downloaded, and, what is more interesting, posted later on WikiLeaks.

Robert Boback pointed out that there are not that many whistle-blower sites to get you many documents, but if you are getting those documents yourselves, such data is out there and available.

Another example provided by Tiversa is a spreadsheet listing potential terrorist targets in California, also published on WikiLeaks. The document detailing locations of caches of bomb-grade fertilizers and other sensitive information turned out to have been shared by a California state employee, again through some P2P program. Tiversa adds that it has more examples in which information published on WikiLeaks proved to be first exposed by government employees using file-sharing clients on PCs with sensitive information.