NSA hack: US intelligence still probing extent of cyber leak

“It’s still under investigation,” Clapper said. “We don’t know exactly the full extent or the understanding of exactly what happened.”

The tool kit consists of malicious software intended to tamper with firewalls, the electronic defenses protecting computer networks. The leak has set the information security world atwitter and sent major companies rushing to update their defenses.

The rogue programs appear to date back to 2013 and have whimsical names like EXTRABACON or POLARSNEEZE. Three of them JETPLOW, FEEDTROUGH and BANANAGLEE have previously appeared in an NSA compendium of top secret cyber surveillance tools.

The documents have been leaked by a group calling itself the “Shadow Brokers,” although many have floated the possibility of Russian involvement.

CIA Director John Brennan, who appeared with Clapper at the event, called cyber threats the most serious issue facing the nation.

“This administration, the intelligence community is focused like a laser on this and I would say the next administration really needs to take this up early on as probably the most important issue they have to grapple with,” Brennan said.