Operations Support Branch

The Operations Support Branch (OSB) is a unit of the cyber-intelligence division of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[1] According to anonymous witnesses who testified at Joshua Schulte's trial, the OSB was filled with workspace pranks, like stealing coworkers' things, name calling, shoving matches, rubber band and Nerf gun wars.[1] Radden Keefe described the extreme secrecy of the OSB at this period as resulting in staff unable to " ... take work home, or talk with anyone on the outside about what they did all day.He was convicted of being the leaker of the Vault 7 documents which detail electronic surveillance and cyber warfare tools developed by the CIA.[1] The leak and publication of the Vault 7 documents was a significant blow to the CIA, a senior official likened it to the 'digital' equivalent of the attack on Pearl Harbor in its scope and fallout.
Central Intelligence AgencyWashington, D.C.Patrick Radden KeefeThe New Yorkerphysical access operationsJoshua SchulteNerf gunVault 7cyber warfareVoldemortattack on Pearl HarborKeefe, Patrick RaddenThe New York TimesWilliams, DamianUnited States Department of JusticeAl Jazeera EnglishUnited States Intelligence CommunityGeorge Bush Center for IntelligenceLangley, VirginiaHistoryDirectorate of Science & TechnologyDirectorate of OperationsSpecial Activities CenterNational Resources DivisionAlleged drug traffickingInvolvement in Contra cocaine traffickingArms control, WMD, and proliferationBlack sitesControversiesCounterterrorismCrime and illicit drug tradeHealth and economyHuman rights violationsInfluence on public opinionDirectors of Central IntelligenceDirectors of the Central Intelligence AgencyWilliam J. DonovanSidney SouersHoyt VandenbergRoscoe H. HillenkoetterWalter Bedell SmithAllen DullesJohn A. McConeWilliam RabornRichard HelmsJames R. SchlesingerWilliam ColbyGeorge H. W. BushStansfield TurnerWilliam J. CaseyWilliam H. WebsterRobert GatesR. James Woolsey Jr.John M. DeutchGeorge TenetPorter GossMichael HaydenLeon PanettaDavid PetraeusJohn BrennanMike PompeoGina HaspelWilliam J. BurnsOperation AjaxOperation PBSuccessSecret War1960 U-2 incidentCongo CrisisBay of Pigs InvasionOperation MongoosePhoenix ProgramOperation RubiconUnited States intervention in ChileOperation CycloneIran–Contra affairDrone strikes in PakistanOperation Neptune SpearTimber SycamoreThe Invisible GovernmentAll the Shah's MenGhost WarsOverthrowLegacy of AshesThe Unexpected SpyAfghanistanAngolaBrazilCambodiaCanadaColombiaFranceGermanyGuatemalaHondurasHungaryIndonesiaMyanmarNicaraguaNorth KoreaPakistanPhilippinesSomaliaSoviet UnionTurkeyUnited KingdomVietnamOfficial reports by the U.S. Government on the CIAProject MKUltra