As a secret parting shot, Obama ordered that some code—easy to discover—be placed in Russian systems, a “Kilroy was here” message that was later spun by some as a time bomb left in Russian networks. If so, it was never armed. As a deterrent, it wasn’t much of a success. In fact, the Russians had largely won. As Michael Hayden, the former CIA and NSA director, said, it was “the most successful covert operation in history.”
