As we near the end of September, which is National Insider Threat Awareness Month , ClearanceJobs reflects on one of the most notable cases that potentially led to this action.
Naming September as National Insider Threat Awareness month was a collaborative effort between the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), National Insider Threat Task Force (NITTF), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S)), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA).
In late August, Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, a former Green Beret, was arrested for espionage, allegedly working with Russian intelligence, specifically Russia’s military intelligence service. The indictment told us that Debbins cooperated with the Russians beginning in 1997, continuing through at least January 2011.
ClearanceJobs news contributor, Christopher Burgess, walked us through the timeline of events for this case.
Peter Debbins operated as a mole within the U.S. Army from 1998 through 2010 and the Russian relationship began during his university years when he was spotted by the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU)Â in city of Chelyabinsk. Upon graduation, Debbins received a reserve commission in the U.S. Army and reported for active duty in July 1998.
While not in the U.S. Government, Debbins was entering a career in the defense and intelligence sectors for the next ten years until his arrest on August 21.
A Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) hearing is scheduled for October 22, with the Jury Trail to commence April 4, both in northern Virginia at an accredited SCIF.
You can read the multiple part series on Debbins, including the timeline of events from 2011-2020, his movement around the defense and IC industry, being assessed and groomed by Russia, and much more.
When it comes to insider threats moving forward after this September, if you see something, say something. Pay close attention to those around you and remember some of the red flags when it comes to detecting an insider threat.
Whether malicious or negligent, insider threats pose serious security problems in defense.
