Turncoat Edward Snowden might have left viruses and bugs on the National Security Agency’s computers, forcing a cleanup costing taxpayers “tens of millions’’ of dollars.
Rick Ledgett, head of a task force probing the embarrassing affair, said Sunday the NSA had to move fast to protect classified files.
“So, all the — the machines that he had access to — we removed from our classified network,” Ledgett told “60 Minutes.’’
“All the machines in the unclassified network and including the actual cables that connect those machines, we removed as well.” Asked the cost, Ledgett said: “Tens of millions [of dollars]. Yes.”
NSA contractor Snowden spilled his guts about the spy organization’s operations in June after taking off for Hong Kong. He has taken refuge in Russia.
The files Snowden stole are the “keys to the kingdom” for enemies who want to know US intelligence capabilities, Ledgett said.
But he said he would still consider an amnesty deal for Snowden if the leaker forks over the rest of his top-secret documents.
“My personal view is, yes, it’s worth having a conversation about,” Ledgett said.
NSA Director Keith Alexander, however, opposed the idea, likening Snowden to a “hostage taker.”