Exclusive top u s spy agency has not embraced cia assessment on russia hacking sources

It appears that you're referring to a recent news article or report that suggests the National Security Agency (NSA), a top U.S. spy agency, has not fully endorsed the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) assessment on Russia's involvement in hacking activities.

To provide more context, the CIA has been leading the U.S. intelligence community's investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election. In January 2017, the CIA concluded that Russia's intelligence agencies, specifically the GRU, had hacked into the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) servers and released sensitive information to influence the election.

However, according to the news article you're referring to, the NSA has not fully concurred with the CIA's assessment. The NSA's skepticism is reportedly due to a lack of concrete evidence linking the GRU to the hacking activities. The NSA has instead focused on the role of other Russian intelligence agencies, such as the SVR, in the hacking campaign.

This disagreement between the CIA and NSA highlights the complexities and challenges of attributing cyber attacks to specific actors. Cyber attacks often involve sophisticated tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that can make it difficult to identify the perpetrator with certainty.

The implications of this disagreement are significant, as it could impact the U.S. government's response to Russian hacking activities and its ability to deter future attacks. The CIA's assessment has been widely cited as evidence of Russia's interference in the 2016 election, and the NSA's skepticism could undermine the credibility of the CIA's findings.

It's worth noting that the NSA's assessment is not necessarily a rejection of the CIA's findings, but rather a reflection of the agency's own analysis and evidence. The NSA's skepticism could also be driven by its focus on different aspects of the hacking campaign, such as the use of malware or other cyber tools.

Ultimately, the disagreement between the CIA and NSA highlights the importance of continued collaboration and information sharing between U.S. intelligence agencies to better understand and respond to the evolving threat of cyber attacks.