The Wall Street Journal
Officials at the National Security Agency have been working with Google Inc. to investigate the cyber attacks that Google announced publicly last month, according to people familiar with the investigation.
The partnership began weeks ago, as the Internet company shared details about the attack – which it said it believed originated in China and affected more than 20 companies – with various government agencies.
In response, Google said it would stop censoring its search results in China – a move it has yet to take as it continues discussions with Chinese officials about how it can continue to operate in the country. In recent weeks, Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt has said the Internet company doesn't want to back out of China but wants to be there on "different terms."
Companies have been more reluctant to work with the NSA in the wake of the debate over domestic surveillance in Washington because they fear being seen as aiding intelligence agencies in a way that would undermine the trust of customers. Addressing this private-sector anxiety is one of the largest challenges facing the White House's new cyber chief Howard Schmidt.
NSA officials had only heard rumors about the Google attack until the company announced it publicly, said one person familiar with the investigation.
While the Federal Bureau of Investigation could begin immediately on its criminal investigation, the NSA had to draft a legal agreement to begin sharing share information with Google.
The NSA's general counsel began drafting what's known as a cooperative research and development agreement the day Google announced the breach, according to a people familiar with the investigation. The agreement was finalized within 24 hours, but the flow of information was still limited, according to a person familiar with the investigation. It allowed the NSA to examine some of the data related to the intrusion into Google's systems.
Both the FBI and NSA dispatched officials to work directly with Google. Most of the information shared with NSA officials has been about the nature of the data that was stolen from Google, a person familiar with the investigation said.
As a result, some intelligence officers attempting to get a better understanding of the nature and scope of the attack resorted to tapping their own backchannel contacts and twisting arms to get information, said a person familiar with the investigation.
