William Binney, a former Technical Director at the National Security Agency (NSA), has shared his perspective on the 2016 Democratic National Committee (DNC) server breach, presenting an alternative view to the widely accepted narrative.

In a recent interview on the podcast “What’s Bugging Me” on the Ricochet platform, Binney raised questions about the DNC data leak that multiple intelligence agencies attributed to a Russian hack. He cited his analysis of the leaked files’ metadata and specific technical details, including file timestamps and transfer rates, to support his claims.

The former NSA official estimated the probability of the data being obtained through an external hack as extremely low, describing it as “one in 10 to the 18th power.”

These claims contrast with the conclusions of multiple U.S. intelligence agencies, which have attributed the breach to Russian hackers. Binney also mentioned testimony from CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that investigated the DNC server. According to Binney, CrowdStrike’s CEO told the House Intelligence Committee in January 2017 that they “never saw the data exfiltrated” from the DNC systems.

So what that meant was they scrapped the entire consitution. We’re all under surveillance now.””

— William Binney

During the interview, Binney also discussed broader issues of government surveillance. He criticized the NSA’s shift toward mass data collection, arguing that this approach has transformed intelligence work from a predictive endeavour into a largely forensic, after-the-fact analysis.

These discussions come amid ongoing scrutiny of intelligence community assessments and their impact on public discourse.

The full interview is available on Ricochet here and on Apple Podcasts here.

About “What’s Bugging Me”:

Hosted by Dennis Kneale, “What’s Bugging Me” is a weekly podcast providing commentary on politics, culture, and current events. Kneale, a seasoned journalist and former managing editor of Forbes, brings his perspective to each episode, engaging listeners with his candid views. The podcast is available on Ricochet.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms.