Want to avoid a fall from grace? Then ensure you're not the chief of a spy agency who coordinates your extramarital affairs using a free webmail service. That's one information security takeaway from the ongoing probe into the former director of the CIA, David Petraeus, who resigned after 14 months on the job.
Petraeus' fall from grace stemmed from an FBI investigation, which began after anonymous, threatening emails were sent to Jill Kelley, a friend of Petraeus. According to the The Wall Street Journal, Kelley -- who serves as a volunteer with wounded veterans and military families -- complained about the emails to an FBI agent who'd pursued a friendship with her. The agent passed case details to the bureau's cyber investigators, who ultimately found that the emails had been sent by someone who also had access to a Gmail account used by Petraeus. The resulting national security investigation ultimately revealed that the emails had been sent by Petraeus' biographer Paula Broadwell, and that the CIA director was having an affair with Broadwell.
Petraeus acknowledged the affair in a resignation letter sent to all CIA employees. "After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair," he said. "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours."
