Pentagon Contractor Child Exploitation Admission | NSO Infects Americans | Dangerous Google Repairs

Plus: Critical HP Printer Security Warning: 150 Models Exposed To Hack Attack

Booz Allen Hamilton will be a name familiar to anyone interested in American intelligence and defense. The company has made a name for itself supporting the country's cyber and military missions with technology and consultation.

It's also had some PR issues in recent years, with two former staffers abusing their positions within the NSA to steal internal documents, the most famous case being that of Edward Snowden. Now, I've learned that one of its employees who worked with the Pentagon's U.S. Cyber Command has pleaded guilty to using the dark web to view and download child sexual exploitation material.

Brendan Kavanaugh, a 53-year-old former Air Force PR man and photo intelligence analyst, admitted that he had been using the Tor network, used to access heavily-encrypted websites on the dark web, since 2016 to visit “sites associated with child pornography,” according to a plea agreement published last week. He now awaits sentencing in February and faces up to 20 years in jail.

The story, which you can read in Forbes here, left me wondering: What kinds of clearance did Kavanaugh have? And was he using work computers to visit the dark web, where threats to security lurk?

If you have any tips on government surveillance or cybercrime, drop me an email on tbrewster@forbes.com or message me on Signal at +447782376697.

The Big Story

The Stories You Have To Read Today

After two Google Pixels were mailed in to the tech giant for repairs, users complained their devices and online accounts were hacked, leading to leaked pictures and personal distress, The Verge reports. Google is investigating.

A cofounder of Swiss company Mitto AG - used by various technology giants including Google and Twitter to deliver passwords via text - also secretly operated a service helping governments spy on mobile phones, according to former employees and clients speaking with Bloomberg. Mitto denied knowledge of the business and is looking into the allegations.

A former Ubiquiti employee was arrested over claims he stole confidential data and used it as leverage in an attempt to extort the networking company out of $2 million in ransom, federal prosecutors said.

Winner Of The Week

For the first time, U.S. Cyber Command chief Paul Nakasone confirmed it was taking action against ransomware, the New York Times reported. Previous reports had claimed the agency had gone on the offensive to try to stop the REvil ransomware gang, allegedly responsible for $200 million in cyber extortions. The actions appear to have worked, with arrests of REvil affiliates and cryptocurrency seized from the group.

Loser Of The Week

Another day, another massive cryptocurrency heist. This time the victim was BadgerDAO, a blockchain-based decentralized finance organization. A total of $119 million in cryptocurrency was allegedly stolen, according to reports.