The Director General of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Intelligence Coordination Center, Cameron Ortis, had access to sensitive intelligence provided by Canada's Five Eyes partners, Canadian officials now say. Mr. Ortis was indicted last week on charges of violating the Information Security Act. The CBC reports that Canada's Communications Security Establishment's preliminary assessment holds that the "damage caused by the release of these reports and intelligence is HIGH and potentially devastating." How much intelligence from the other Eyes (Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) was compromised is unclear, but the Washington Post observes that Canada is reckoned a net consumer of information, receiving more than it gives.

Mr. Ortis apparently approached Phantom Secure Communications, a Vancouver firm whose CEO is now in a US prison serving time for offenses related to provision of encryption services to the Sinaloa drug cartel, the CBC says. Evidence of his contact with the company, was discovered, the Globe and Mail reports, on a laptop the FBI seized during its investigation of Phantom Secure, and prompted the investigation that resulted in his arrest. (Note that Phantom Secure Communications has no connection with RSAC Innovation Sandbox winner Phantom, now owned by Splunk.)

Australian officials were concerned that attacks on Parliament and three major political parties, now generally thought to have been conducted by China, also aimed at compromising state and territorial election systems, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports.

The AP says Ed Snowden would rather have asylum in France than Russia.