The Defense Department is creating an information-sharing platform that will monitor risks posed by government employees and other individuals in possession of high-level U.S. government security clearance.
The program, known as “Department of Defense (DoD) Component Insider Threat Records System” is part of an executive order signed by President Obama in October 2011. The system aims to prevent leaks of classified government information and will monitor individuals who were granted eligibility to access classified information and those “who have exhibited actual, probable, or possible indications of insider threat behaviors or activities.” This includes National Guard and military reserves personnel, employees, DoD contractors.
Concern over the release of classified information by insider threats is a long-running concern of the DOD. An earlier program known as Cyber Insider Threat (CINDER) was managed by DARPA and proposed to monitor the “keystrokes, mouse movements, and visual cues” of insider threats.