US to revise procedure of intelligence access following classified documents leak 

CNN reported the information.

According to Austin, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security will review the mechanism of access to intelligence. He will examine, in particular, "accountability and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again."

"As Secretary of Defense, I will also not hesitate to take any additional measures necessary to safeguard our nation’s secrets," Austin emphasized.

The US Defense Secretary also praised the Department of Justice and the FBI for the arrest of 21-year-old Guardsman Jack Teixeira, assigned to the Massachusetts Air National Guard. According to preliminary data, he may be behind the leak of classified documents, which, in particular, contain information about the war in Ukraine. 

"The Department of Defense, in close partnership with the Intelligence Community and our interagency partners, will continue to review the national security implications of this unauthorized disclosure," Austin emphasized.

Also, according to CNN, the Pentagon has created a memo for the military, which outlines the rules and procedures for working with classified documents. In particular, the memo warns that the military should not download documents marked "classified" from unclassified websites. The reason is that they may be associated with foreign adversaries or contain viruses that could pose a cyber threat to the Pentagon's information systems.

The document also emphasizes that the military should "not to discuss classified information with any person not authorized to receive such information." 

In addition, the memo warns military personnel that they should not talk to the media, members of Congress, or staff about classified documents. Instead, they should be directed to the Office of Legislative Affairs or the Office of Public Affairs.

The outlet writes that the memo with warnings was sent out the day before Jack Teixeira's arrest.

• On April 6, The New York Times reported on the leak of classified documents detailing US and NATO plans to build up the Ukrainian army before the planned counteroffensive. The Pentagon launched an investigation.

• Almost immediately, a new batch of classified documents appeared on social media, allegedly revealing US national security secrets regarding Ukraine, the Middle East, and China.

• Already on April 8, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that the so-called classified military documents on the plans for the Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive were a forgery and a special operation by Russian intelligence services. Russia could have forged the documents to disrupt Western aid to Ukraine.

• On April 9, investigative journalists from Bellingcat found out that the original source of the leaked classified Pentagon documents on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive was a Discord server. CNN reported that the Ukrainian military command changed some of its military plans after the leak of classified Pentagon documents online.