A former senior executive at a US defense contractor has been handed an 87-month jail term after selling zero-day exploits to a Russian broker.<\/p>\n
Australian national Peter Williams, 39, is the former general manager of L3Harris cyber-division Trenchant – a company that develops digital surveillance tools for Five Eyes<\/a> agencies.<\/p>\n In addition to the jail term, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release with special conditions, to forfeit $1.3m, cryptocurrency, a house, and luxury items including watches and jewelry.<\/p>\n “Williams took trade secrets comprised of national security software and sold them for up to $4m in cryptocurrency. These incredibly powerful tools would have allowed Russia to access millions of digital devices,” said US attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n “By betraying a position of trust and selling sensitive American technology, Williams’ crime is not only one of theft, it is a crime of national security. Our nation’s defense capabilities are not commodities to be auctioned off.”<\/p>\n Read more on the trade in zero-day exploits: Pall Mall Process to Define Responsible Commercial Cyber Intrusion.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Williams pleaded guilty last October<\/a> to two counts of theft of trade secrets.<\/p>\n He admitted to stealing eight “cyber-exploit components” over a three-year period and selling them to a Russian broker in exchange for crypto payments. The broker counts the Russian government among its clients.<\/p>\n Williams not only sold the exploits but agreed to provide “follow-on support” for which he was also paid, according to the Justice Department (DoJ).<\/p>\n He also admitted that his actions cost Trenchant\/L3Harris $35m and had a “significant impact” on customers including the US and allied governments.<\/p>\n The case shines a light on the murky world of commercial spyware<\/a>; something Western governments are increasingly concerned about.<\/p>\nSanctions in Place<\/strong><\/h2>\n