A fascinating story came up over the weekend after reporters at the Chicago Tribune revealed that it had found the names of more than 2,600 CIA operatives, as well as a number of "secret" agency locations.
But this wasn't the result of a Deep Throat. No Woodward and Bernstein insider info stuff here. No, the tools of their investigation? Just one: the internet.
The newspaper obtained the information from data providers who charge fees for access to public records, but it did not publish the identities or other details of its searches, citing concern it could endanger the CIA employees.
Through the data providers, the newspaper said it identified people by telephone listings, property transactions, voting records, and other financial and legal documents.
People often quip that government intelligence is an oxymoron (what wags!) but at least in this case they've clearly failed to understand the links between technology and information. And for an intelligence agency, that seems a pretty bad failing - as well as a potential security risk (after all, remember that revealing the identity of a CIA operative is a criminal offence for everyone outside the White House).
Tin Foil Hat alert
But it also proves that there's a lot of data on you out there, even if you don't realise it.
