The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed charges against Kendra Kingsbury, a former FBI employee, for her illicit removal and retention of numerous national security documents over a span of 13 years, from June 2004 to December 2017. The indictment reveals that Kingsbury, who served as an intelligence analyst in the FBI’s Kansas City Division, kept these documents at her personal residence, raising significant security concerns.
According to the unsealed indictment, which was made public recently, Kingsbury faces two charges related to the unauthorized possession of defense-related documents. Having been with the FBI for over 12 years, her suspension occurred in 2017 amid investigations into her activities.
Alan E. Kohler Jr., Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, expressed astonishment at the volume and sensitivity of the classified material that Kingsbury allegedly kept beyond the agency’s oversight. The materials in her possession encompassed intelligence notes, emails, internal communications, and details regarding methodologies used for countering terrorism and cyber threats.
The Justice Department’s allegations assert that Kingsbury was fully aware of her unauthorized access to this sensitive information. She failed to transfer the classified documents to authorized personnel, compounding the severity of her actions.
Among the documents retained were 20 items reflecting various aspects of classified intelligence, touching on open investigations, human intelligence sources, and gaps concerning foreign intelligence threats. This includes particular insights into the FBI’s capabilities to investigate and neutralize threats related to terrorism and espionage.
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers emphasized the breach of trust at hand, stating that Kingsbury’s actions posed a significant risk to national security. Insider threats like this highlight vulnerabilities within government institutions, leading to calls for more stringent prevention and detection measures.
The situation underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity protocols and the implications of insider threats, which fall under various MITRE ATT&CK adversary tactics including initial access, persistence, and privilege escalation. Kingsbury’s actions could represent a failure of access control and monitoring policies within the FBI, necessitating a reevaluation of risk management strategies in similar organizations.
As the case progresses, it serves as a potent reminder for businesses and government entities alike to remain vigilant against internal security breaches, ensuring that sensitive information is appropriately safeguarded against unauthorized access and retention.
