Cyber exec with lavish lifestyle charged with selling secrets to Russia

Federal prosecutors have charged a former general manager of US government defense contractor L3Harris's cyber arm Trenchant with selling secrets to an unidentified Russian buyer for $1.3 million. According to the Justice Department, Peter Williams stole seven trade secrets belonging to two unnamed companies between April 2022 …

[Anonymous Coward]

Surely this will cause L3Harris to have all of their government contracts suspended and then cancelled, right?

[Roo]

Lob a few $m at the Whitehouse and all will be forgiven with pardons all round.

[JLV]

All depends on how palsy they are with the Trumpsters.

An open letter to DOGE https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/editorial/2025/01/letter-leaders-doge as early as January 2025 was already deeply burrowing their proboscis into the appropriate orifices - "Dear Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy..." so one would guess ...

> "nothing to see, citizen, move along".

[Pascal Monett]

"an unidentified Russian buyer"

What is the point in identiying said Russian buyer ?

It's not like you're going to be able to drag that company to a non-Russian court, now is it ?

Extraordinary rendition was a great idea until somebody realized that it works both ways . . .

[amanfromMars 1]

Oh please, what a load of bollocks

But Trenchant claims it uses its cyber powers for good, not evil.

One definitely cannot claim that if contracted to supply its cyber powers to the US Department of Defense .......

US government defense contractor L3Harris's cyber arm Trenchant ... which develops cyber weapons.

[Grogan]

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

Absolutely, the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia and their sycophantic allies are the new Axis of Evil.

An historical example of "using cyber weapons for good" was the joint American/Israeli venture that spread a worm (Stuxnet) across the Internet whose sole purpose was to target logic controllers, used by, but NOT EXCLUSIVELY by, Uranium refinement centrifuges in Iran. This worm cost millions of dollars in many countries and could have caused deaths if PLCs of that type were compromised.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

Don't forget- the reason Stuxnet was used was that it was saner than letting the Israelis bomb uranium refineries.

[Grogan]

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

You cunts will try to whitewash anything...

[Alan Brown]

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

Nobody is making U235 bombs. It works out at about $500M/kg for bomb-grade U235 and the 60% the Iranians are hitting isn't bomb material by a long stretch

The dangerous stuff is DEPLETED uranium - this is the feedstock for making weapons-grade plutonium and you get 9kg of it for every 1kg of 3% enriched "reactor grade" uranium

Considering the enrichement levels the Iranians were aiming for, Stuxnet was a complete waste of time - the enriched uranium is intended for reactor kickstarts and a few percent variation doesn't matter, whilst the depletion levels obtained are "good enough" to make plutonium bombs anyway

MOSSAD pointed out in 2003 that the iranians already had sufficient material to make several hundred bombs IF THEY WANTED TO but at that point had shown no inclination to do so, concluding that the enriched stockpile was almost certainly to kickstart civil reactors (Iran has severe air pollution problems around its cities - particularly Tehran, so they have a strong incentive to stop burning oil on top of "it will run out eventually")

In that light, the antics of the USA and Israel seem like deliberate attempts to goad the Iranians into building nuclear weapons rather than preventing them from doing so.

In all liklihood they've been flogging off their depleted uranium to the Norks and Pakistanis, otherwise they'd have a stockpile of several THOUSAND tons of weaponisable depleted uranium - and at potentially 100+ bombs per ton if processed into plutonium, that's a huge risk

The media/propaganda concentration on "enriched uranium" is a distraction tactic that's been in play for decades. It's the depleted stuff that's potentially dangerous (USA stockpiles of depleted uranium are kept under armed guard on military bases for that reason)

Here's why in simple economic terms: A 15kT U235 bomb costs $3-30billion in materials depending on design method, a plutonium bomb costs $30-60 million. Any nation considering using U235 bombs would be better off purchasing its enemy (it would be cheaper and more effective) and you can get a LOT of conventional explosives for that kind of money (vastly more than 15kT per billion).

Thorium is also potentially weaponisable via the U233 path but by the time you get the accompanying U232 down to safe levels it costs even more than U235 and if you only take the easy forst step, it's still more expensive than plutonium whilst tending to make bombs fire off prematurely whilst simultaneously emitting enough hard gamma radiation to be fatal to ground crews. (every pure thorium bomb tested has barely exceeded "fizzle" status and the absolute best yield achieved - when mixed 50/50 with plutonium - was a 60% reduction in yield over a plutonium bomb at substantially higher cost than a plutonium bomb)

Implosion designs work just as well for U235 as plutonium and reduce mass requirements by 90%, but that only brings you down to the low end of the cost scale, hence why nobody's bothered with uranium bombs since 1953 (which was when the implosion design was proven and promptly shelved). You can make 100+ bombs per ton of weapons-grade plutonium produced from depleted urtanium - and as I pointed out above, you get 9 times more depleted uranium than "reactor grade" material when you start enriching it.

If it wasn't for the USA bomb program, nuclear reactors wouldn't be using enriched uranium (it was available as a waste product) and the entire "enrichment" process is a figleaf covering weapons production in any case - if all you want is nuclear power then there are several designs that work well enough on natural uranium or thorium that you don't need to turn your $150/kg uranium into $60,000+/kg "reactor fuel". The original reactor design was a laboratory demonstrator specifically designed for 1950s submarines, for use by mariners who had an inteimate knowledge of steam boilers and turbines , able to be repaired if there were problems under arctic ice. It was never intended to be scaled up and the 99% waste wasn't an issue for a one-off experimental unit. Ditto the requirement for 24x7 supervsion (navies always have someone on watch)

Iran started its nuclear power program with the intention to buy from the USA (until 1979) or USSR (after that date) and was screwed over by both - hence their determination to "go it alone". The natural uranium designs all need a hefty kickstart, which explains the 60% enrichment. All of this happened before the MSRE work was rediscovered and I'd expect that power designs are switching away from water-moderated steam bombs as their new BFFs (China) will be offering the fruits of the TMSR project as an oil deal sweetener

[JLV]

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

There is one problem with this analysis. Enrichment gets way more efficient as you ramp up the numbers. Going from 0 to 20% is a lot more strenuous than 60 to 95%. They apparently have good deal of 60% refined. You all that money spending you've talked up so impressively? Mostly has happened already and has limited civilian uses.

https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/conversion-enrichment-and-fabrication/uranium-enrichment

Look at the "Uranium enrichment and uses."

The plutonium from depleted uranium pathway is from reactor spent fuel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium The problem for Iran there is that it is probably easier to monitor what comes out of those since their location is pretty well known.

Anyway, all that chatter about Iran's nuclear intentions being harmless is unconvincing in the extreme. And that is not from any great amount of sympathy for Bibi's Israel. Israel may have very questionable behavior wrt Palestinians. And US behavior wrt Iran may be questionable as well. But Iran is by no means a blushing innocent damsel.

[Roo]

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

Predictably, as is their way, the Israelis bombed Iran anyway - repeatedly. So that didn't age well - only naive dupes and shills reckoned it was a great plan.

[Will Godfrey]

Spy V Spy

Anyone else remember that cartoon strip.

[Andy E]

Re: Spy V Spy

I do and it was Mad.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Spy V Spy

I'm glad this espionage scheme finally got Cracked.

[Homo.Sapien.Floridanus]

Re: Spy V Spy

These puns got me laughing so hard ‘till I was shaken, not stirred.

[Dante Alighieri]

Re: Spy V Spy

Originally : stirred , never shaken (makes more sense). Apparently Sir Sean couldn't get it right,

[Chrys]

Re: Spy V Spy

Helped save me from going MAD.

[Paul Herber]

Watches

Why do these people always buy watches?

[Anonymous Coward]

They do not necessarily buy them. They get them as "presents".

A luxury watch - assume corruption. Even propensity to desire one is a bad signal.

There was a news video about an Italian anti-drug team busting some criminal group, with one of the officers wearing a luxury watch. This makes me wonder.

[Anonymous Coward]

>>> There was a news video about an Italian anti-drug team busting some criminal group, with one of the officers wearing a luxury watch.

Video pls?

Fake Rolexes are a thing.

[Paul Herber]

So are genuine faux!

[Jellied Eel]

A luxury watch - assume corruption. Even propensity to desire one is a bad signal.

Not always, although wearing an expensive watch in public can be a signal going 'mug me!', which criminals often do. Mainly because there's a busy market for 2nd hand watches.. Which is also where possible corruption comes in because they're also a portable value store. Back in the good'ol days that used to be 1c diamonds because they're also easy to move around, but a little harder to convert to cash than putting a luxury watch for sale on Ebay.

But they can also be a visible sign of corruption, ie person with a $500k watch collection might raise eyebrows about how that person could afford them. Which is something the police often watch out for.

[MachDiamond]

""But they can also be a visible sign of corruption, ie person with a $500k watch collection might raise eyebrows about how that person could afford them. "

Assuming the popo find the collection. In the mean time, having an expensive watch on your wrist or in your pocket is a chunk of money that won't likely be questioned when traveling like cash will. Diamonds/precious stones were/are handy as they aren't spotted by metal detectors and on a body scanner, it can be passed off as a button. A brand new iPhone can have good cash value at a discount but it goes stale. Gold and other precious metals are dense in value, but are easy to find and don't have an everyday functional use.

[Jellied Eel]

Assuming the popo find the collection. In the mean time, having an expensive watch on your wrist or in your pocket is a chunk of money that won't likely be questioned when traveling like cash will.

Yep. A lot of criminals end up being caught for being flash and living beyond their means. Plus LEOs monitor 'social' media and nab villains who flash their cash, jewellry, firearms for clout. Then get their collars felt and then police bodycam videos can show the arrests. There's also been a few interesting cases where because video or image quality has increased, LEOs can read serial numbers on firearms and see if they're stolen. Or removed. Or the idiot is a convicted felon.

But I like watches and have a few nice ones. Also I was once on a business trip to Malaysia and saw a Rolex Daytona in a jewellry store. Quick currency conversion, deducting Malaysian tax, bought it and wandered through the red channel back at LHR to declare it and pay UK tax. Then sold it for a £5k profit because there was an 18 month wait list for Daytonas in the UK, and people love their bling. Sale would attract a capital gains liability on the profit, but didn't have to pay that because I was under the threshold for that year.

But that's why watches can also be attractive to people doing shady things. Plenty of watches cost well above the typical $10k reporting threshold for cash, so probably get used for money laundering, assuming the money mule can plausibly justify wearing a $50k watch. Guessing Customs could track that kind of thing by watches serial numbers and see they're moving back & forwards.

[MachDiamond]

"Yep. A lot of criminals end up being caught for being flash and living beyond their means."

That's the stupid ones and that's the same mob that's filming themselves committing the crimes as well. They will buy flash gear to impress their "friends" rather than as a store of value and go to great lengths to show it off. If you look like a drug dealer, act like a drug dealer and live in an area known for dealing drugs, an expensive exotic car will have the cops watching very closely.

The smart criminals are the ones that aren't getting caught.

Are customs in the UK looking for expensive watches coming through? Obviously, if it's still boxed that's a give away, but on your wrist? There's plenty of watches that look the part, but sell for less than a Timex. Looking the part of somebody that would own an expensive watch legitimately will be a big component. I have a few years on, so if I dress nice and don't drink too much coffee, I won't come off as a drug/arms dealer or maybe a money laundering mule. They do catch little old ladies doing naughty things to augment their pensions, but I expect that many more are sailing right through if they aren't greedy. The shows down under showing people bringing suitcases full of smokes into the country is amazing. Customs can also spot the difference in what a tourist will pack vs. somebody planning to stay and work in-country without permission. There was one where a "lady" being interviewed said she was just visiting, but had an entire bag packed with racy smalls. Obviously a seamstress.

[Alan Brown]

"The smart criminals are the ones that aren't getting caught."

The really smart ones start a religion

[MachDiamond]

"The really smart ones start a religion"

And we'll be absolutely clear about it not being a cult! Definitely not a cult, no matter what other's say.

On another note, It's the last chance to evacuate planet Earth before it is recycled.

[Jellied Eel]

Are customs in the UK looking for expensive watches coming through? Obviously, if it's still boxed that's a give away, but on your wrist? There's plenty of watches that look the part, but sell for less than a Timex. Looking the part of somebody that would own an expensive watch legitimately will be a big component.

No idea, but customs have access to passenger lists and other intelligence. Plus the way airports are designed, have time to observe passengers and try to spot wrong'uns. That might be people trying to evade duty or maybe muling. But I guess looking the part gets more complicated. So someone wearing the latest Richard Mille with a case made from compressed Yak nasal hair and a face too complicated to actually tell the time would look.. a part. Which could be someone with waay more money than sense, or victim. They may cost $1m+ but they're fugly.

Which I guess is also part of looking the part. So a Rolex or Tag might signal 'salesman'. But I've had fun watch shopping dressed casually and being pointedly ignored by salespeople untill one maybe twigs I'm wearing a 1930s Oyster Perpetual with a bit of a history because it was one of Rolex's POW watches. But that's a family heirloom as well as a store of value. Watches though can be a bit of a fashion statement, or mis-statement. I mostly collect dress watches but wearing a flash watch to a black or white-tie event is a bit of a fashion faux pas, as is checking the time to flash the watch. A gentleman just shouldn't do that. But can be entertaining to watch at a boring event.

Most of the time though I just wear the good'ol Casio F-91W, which as another poster mentioned is a bit of a legend. And no, I am not a terrorist. When a strap broke, I did make a nice platinum case for one and turned it into a pocket watch, which can be quite fun when people see it. Making a mechanism so the light came on when the case opened was a bit.. less fun though. I think watch collectors can be a bit crazy, ie spending lots of money for complications to do what a digital can do for a lot less money. I've had a few people ask me to make pocket watch conversions and might get an engraver some day and do that.

[Alan Brown]

It's worth noting that most precious stones stand out like crazy on airport xray and body scanners, which has curtailed their use by smugglers

[Alan Brown]

I've always had a hankering for a nice turbillon but that's down to the complexity and craftmanship required to build them. Rolexes and the like leave me cold

Not that I could afford one, Even a Chinese turbillon movement starts at about $10k (regardless of the complexity, a cheap quartz movement beats the hell out of all mechanical designs for accuracy and reliablity)

There is a "non corrupt" market for luxury watches but they tend to be for the discreet designs, worn by the same people who wear non-flashy but extremely high quality clothing and who drive around in old Japanese Keis most of the time

[Alan Brown]

IIRC a few years ago there was a story about one of the antimafia teams being infiltrated, with the realisation being the same kind of clue (a luxury watch unaffordable on the normal salary)

In case nobody's noticed, watch wearing has almost disappeared in most places over the last 20 years.

The ubiquity of smartphones with accurate onboard clocks and calendering has rendered them obsolete for most purposes and "smart watches" simply haven't taken off, for entirely practical reasons (too small, too short a battery life, too fiddly to use. An arm-mounted larger display isn't practical either as it would need radical rethinking of sleeve designs in ways most people won't feel compfortable with due to flapping at the wrist and vambraces/bracers (lower arm armour) went out of style in the Middle Ages

It's worth paying attention to anyone wearing a watch these days. They're making a statement even if it's a cheap casio digital and they don't realise what they're saying

[tmTM]

Re: Watches

Easy to move on, generally appreciate in value and (I think) a private sale does not incur tax.

Also relatively easy to move across borders, one or two at a time obviously.

[this]

Re: Watches

I think its inhertance tax they are exempt from (in UK). In fact, I believe any 'mechanical device' is similarly exempt (cars?) . I heard this on 'Flog it!' so it must be true.

[Dinanziame]

Re: Watches

Recently passed by the casino of Singapore; I thought it pretty interesting that 9 out of 10 stores immediately outside the casino were Swiss watch brands.

[anothercynic]

Re: Watches

Watches are an easy-to-transport valuable asset. If you buy a fancy Patek and keep it in pristine order, you can sell it again and get your value back (sometimes more, sometimes less). And sometimes you can explain it away by claiming it's a fake from the Far East... :-)

It's the preferred asset to diamonds, gold bars or stacks of cash (all of which are more difficult to explain to Customs these days). ;-)

[Dante Alighieri]

Re: Watches

No capital gains or tax.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Watches

"No capital gains or tax."

If it's something that sells at auction or through a dealer/broker, there will be tax. Officially, there's tax due on a private sale, but it's hard for the Firm Generale to detect. It's something to keep in mind if you are collecting and trading assets and don't wish to pay The Man a fee. Things that have to be licensed or registered leave a paper trail. A buyer will not pay a market price for something that needs a clear title.

[trevorde]

Re: Watches

B-b-b-b-ut ... *Apple* watches??? It's not like it's going to be a family heirloom, passed down the generations.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/10/the-10000-plus-golden-apple-watch-is-now-obsolete-according-to-apple/

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Luxury?

My phone will display the time just as well as a Rolex. The last watch I wore was a Swatch, 25 years ago. Cost about £20 then.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Luxury?

My phone will display the time just as well as a Rolex

Yes, but your Rolly won't start displaying daylight savings time (summer time) in a non-DST region of your nation as my phone recently and inconveniently did.

Personally a stainless steel Eco·Drive ticks all the boxes especially no battery to replace but keeps pretty decent time and inflation adjusted about the same price as my last wind·up watch.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Luxury?

A self wind or wind up watch is good to have in case of being stranded on a desert island or loss of power.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: Luxury?

Er, what are you going to do on a desert island with no power that needs you to know the time?

[Alan Brown]

Re: Luxury?

Find north

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Luxury?

To know when it's time to tune into Desert Island Discs on the BBC World Service, on my wind-up radio.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Luxury?

> "a stainless steel Eco·Drive ticks all the boxes especially no battery to replace but keeps pretty decent time"

So does my c. £13 Casio F-91W, though.

Admittedly you might have to replace the battery after a decade or so of typical use, though the strap will likely have gone by then and you can replace the whole thing for next to nothing again anyway.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Luxury?

"My phone will display the time just as well as a Rolex."

Even the latest iPhone isn't as ostentatious a display of wealth as the Rolex. That's the point, not keeping time. I've got a nice Seiko that might sell for $40 of anybody's money that keeps really good time. It was a gift when I graduated with my first degree so I won't be selling it even though I almost never wear it. It was much more expensive new, but not Rolex expensive.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Ronnie Barker's Sekonda adverts...

https://youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=Ronnie+Barker+sekonda

[Blackjack]

Honesty I would ask why, if I didn't know how easy is for people in power to end smelling their own farts.

[ajadedcynicaloldfart]

Seems to me

that this L3Harris thing is just the U.S. answer to N.S.O group.

With all the morals and scruples that said group have.

/S just incase.

Ishy

[Ian Johnston]

The sin is not selling secrets to the Russians. The sin is undercutting Donald Trump's rates for doing it.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

I wonder if the Russian Military Attaché has taken a swim at the pool at Mar-a-Lago, then got changed back at the pool house

icon ->> "retrospectively" declassified nuclear secrets

[steviebuk]

Yet

Orange tango man can steal loads of gov docs, hide them in his bathroom and show to his russian boyfriends and thats OK.

[Chrys]

Really?

"We are particular about who we work with and so, for all the right reasons, our customer set is both select and small, comprising only those who share our own high ethical standards," it continues. "Standing shoulder to shoulder with allied governments, defence, security and law enforcement agencies, we work to make the world a safer place by 'preventing the event' and defending national security from ever-evolving threats."

Sounds just fine, not one bit worrying. at all. really.

[Anonymous Coward]

All these people selling secrets to overseas governments.

This is probably where Rachel Reeves £48bn black hole comes from, Labour has probably been overspending buying it's own secrets to keep up with other nations.

[Shane Lusby]

Pardon incoming in 3, 2, 1.....

[Locomotion69]

Your next CS threat

This particular individual appears to be bought to commit crimes.

But as cyber security awareness increases, security gets better, the weakest link in here is the human.

One can think of the situation where an individual of company "X" can be bribed or -worse- blackmailed to commit these crimes. It is easy enough for these criminals to look at MSM at find everything about you. Such inside jobs have the danger of going to be big.

In order to minimise the risk of this happening, companies shall appoint at least two pairs of eyes to any one job, and preferably different eyes each time - amongst other measures.

[frankvw]

Not on my watch!

"...Rolexes, Tag Heuers, and Apple Watches"

It is a sad state in and of itself when Rolex and Tag Heuer watches are lumped together with Apple gadgetry. The barbarians are indeed at the gate.

[Anonymous Coward]

It is possible for someone to sell secrets to Russia

Now, I'd like someone in the know to enlighten us here on how Russia will be able to pay those 1.3 millions. They've been cut out of SWIFT and all Russian assets in the Western banks are being frozen.

Besides, nobody is no longer doing business with Russia in USD, or so we're being told. So, how do they do it ?

[Jellied Eel]

Re: It is possible for someone to sell secrets to Russia

They've been cut out of SWIFT and all Russian assets in the Western banks are being frozen.

Besides, nobody is no longer doing business with Russia in USD, or so we're being told. So, how do they do it ?

SWIFT is an inter-bank system and following sanctions, Russia created their own alternative, SPFS and has been signing up countries and customers. But not every country is honoring the sanctions, so it probably went much the same way as money laundering and other criminality happens. Get cash, or cash equivalents out of Russian accounts and into some US-friendly or tolerated account, and then into the US. There's millions of transactions evey day, so quite a challenge for LEA's to monitor all of those and flag something dodgy.. But something did atract interest, hence this exec got caught.