US plans to scan workers with secret clearances
U.S. officials say they plan to set up a sweeping system of electronic monitoring that will tap into government, financial and other databases to scan the behavior of many of the 5 million federal employees with secret clearances.
The system is intended to identify rogue agents, corrupt officials and leakers, and draws on a Defense Department model under development for more than a decade, according to officials and documents reviewed by The Associated Press.
Intelligence officials have long wanted a computerized system that can continuously monitor employees to prevent cases similar to former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden, whose disclosures bared secretive U.S. surveillance operations.
An administration review of the government's security clearance process due this month is expected to support continuous monitoring as part of comprehensive changes.
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