The latest salvo in the unfolding intrigue surrounding global espionage was unleashed by WikiLeaks on Tuesday in the form of a huge cache of files purportedly from the CIA.
The controversial whistleblower website trumpeted the release as "the largest publication of confidential documents" regarding the notoriously secretive spy agency.
Most troubling about these documents is that they specifically contain insights into hacking abilities allegedly possessed by the CIA.
According to the files contained in the release, the agency is able to spy on unsuspecting individuals by way of a vast array of everyday devices like smart TVs and cell phones.
In total, Tuesday's release numbered 8,000 documents, meaning that it will take some time for experts to parse through the files which will, no doubt, contain even more worrisome information.
For their part, the CIA has not confirmed that the documents are real, but technology experts studying the techniques outlined in the files seem to agree that the methods are sound, suggesting that the insights did originate with the spy agency.
Much like the Edward Snowden revelations, the chilling new ways in which 'they' may be eavesdropping on us likely come as no surprise to conspiracy theorists who have long warned of such dangers.
And, in the greater picture of world affairs, one can only wonder how the move by WikiLeaks will affect the already adversarial relationship between President Trump and the American intelligence community.
So you may not want to smash your cellphone to save yourself from being spied on just yet, since then you'd miss the next chapter in that increasingly strange story.
Coast Insiders looking to learn more about the ways of clandestine technological spying can check out reporter David Seaman's appearance on the 6/10/2013 edition of the show.
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Source: USA Today / Washington Post