Countries still have intelligence, counterintelligence, and all of the other Cold War-era espionage systems, right? How is it possible for Government A to have a secret that Government B wants? What stops Government B from
- publicizing a Signal tip line
- taking messages from a cash-hungry employee of Government A
- after determining that the messages, and any attached documents, are genuine, paying out some cryptocurrency to the rat
? In the old days it was difficult to betray one’s government. A military officer would have to find a way to meet a foreign government’s spies, not get followed to the meeting spot, receive a briefcase full of cash or trust that money had been deposited into a Swiss bank account, etc. Today, on the other hand, unless Government A has a way to read Signal messages on every device and also map its citizens to crypto wallets how can Government A prevent its officials and employees from selling secrets?
Loosely related… imagine how inflated a Californian’s head would have to be for him/her/zir/them to imagine that he/she/ze/they was an expert on “the preservation of Democracy” (from Los Angeles):
Doesn’t the rat still have the problem of authenticating the destination of the stolen material (it could be a honey pot)? Certainly easier than in the old days, but still seems pretty risky.