US wary of naming Russia in cyber hack

Publicly blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intelligence services would bring instant pressure on Washington to divulge its evidence, which relies on highly classified sources and methods, US intelligence officials said. 

One option for Washington is to retaliate against Russia in cyberspace. But the intelligence officials said they fear a rapid escalation in which, under a worst-case scenario, Moscow’s sophisticated cyber warriors could attack power grids, financial systems and other critical infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, a long-time FBI employee with top-secret clearances pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of China and providing officials in that country with sensitive information, prosecutors said. 

Kun Shan Chun was secretly arrested in March and held on charges of lying about his contacts in China, who lavished him with cash and expensive hotel rooms, according to the criminal complaint. Chun, 46, who was born in China and is also known as Joey, faces up to 10 years in prison.