<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span> working in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="United States"><span>United States</span></a><span> has been </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jail" rel="" target="_blank" title="jailed"><span>jailed</span></a><span> for more than seven years after selling stolen secrets to a buyer with connections to the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/russia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Russian"><span>Russian</span></a><span> government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Peter Williams, 39, admitted to selling eight pieces of critical software and information related to cybersecurity to a Russian broker in return for $US4 million ($5.6 million), which he used to buy jewellery, watches, homes and luxury holidays.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The tools were cyber-exploit components, meaning they can be used to identify weaknesses in technological systems, or to infect them with viruses.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>AS IT HAPPENED:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-state-of-the-union-address-live-updates-latest-politics-news-headlines/3521c95d-716b-49a9-9e8c-f89b6c89cef4" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Trump's 'graphic' message in front of murder victims' families</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>These components could have given the buyer access to millions of digital devices within the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is not known whether Russia or any other foreign government gained access to these materials and used them in a malicious way.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Williams was working as the general manager of Trenchant, an intelligence firm owned by US defence contractor L3Harris Technologies at the time of the thefts.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/peter-williams-jailed-usa-seven-years-selling-state-secrets-to-russian-broker-australia/10d5e1ec-3bc9-40a1-84bc-57c47d26a8c6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>UPDATE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/chris-baghsarian-remains-found-in-search-for-missing-grandfather-sydney/66bdff80-d78a-4f28-974f-a9b31bf840be" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Police expect to charge two men over alleged kidnapping, murder of grandfather</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US Department of Justice claims Williams' crimes cost his former employer $US35 million.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Peter Williams stole a US defence contractor's trade secrets about highly sensitive cyber capabilities and sold them to a broker whose clients include the Russian government, putting our national security and countless potential victims at risk," FBI counterintelligence and espionage division assistant director Roman Rozhavsky said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Williams had previously </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/australian-man-admits-selling-pentagon-secrets-to-russia/b4632957-b6a5-45ce-93ed-5aab92d56854" rel="" target="_blank" title="pleaded guilty"><span>pleaded guilty</span></a><span> to two counts of theft of trade secrets in October and entered a plea agreement with prosecutors to get a lighter sentence. The maximum penalty can be up to 10 years imprisonment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As well as sentencing Williams to 87 months jail, US District Court Judge Loren AliKhan ordered him to forfeit $US1.3 million in cash, as well as cryptocurrency, properties, and other items purchased with the proceeds of the sales.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/cia-offers-help-for-iranian-informants/7d53ce8f-c040-48b9-ac65-857924acafba" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>CIA releases online tips for potential Iranian informants</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She claimed Williams' offending impacted both the USA and Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Mr Williams acknowledges that his actions caused harm to the intelligence communities, both in the US and Australia," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w"><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine"><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></p></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul></ul></div></div>