Editing Robert Hanssen (section)

=== Later FBI career, continued espionage activities (1992–2001) ===
When the [[Collapse of the Soviet Union|USSR disbanded]] in December 1991, Hanssen, possibly worried that he could be exposed during the ensuing political upheaval, ended communications with his handlers for a time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|p=141}}</ref> The following year, after the [[Russian Federation]] assumed control of the defunct Soviet spy agencies, Hanssen made a risky approach to the [[GRU (Russian Federation)|GRU]], with whom he had not been in contact for ten months. He went to the Russian embassy in person and physically approached a GRU officer in the parking garage. Hanssen, carrying a package of documents, identified himself by his Soviet [[code name]], "Ramon Garcia", and described himself as a "disaffected FBI agent" who was offering his services as a spy. The Russian officer, who evidently did not recognize the code name, drove away. The Russians then filed an official protest with the [[U.S State Department]], believing Hanssen to be a triple agent. Despite having shown his face, disclosing his code name, and revealing his FBI affiliation, Hanssen escaped arrest when the FBI's investigation into the incident did not advance.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|p=160}}</ref>

Hanssen continued to take risks in 1993 when he hacked into the computer of a fellow FBI agent, Ray Mislock, printed out a classified document from Mislock's computer and took the document to Mislock, saying, "You didn't believe me that the system was insecure." Hanssen's superiors were not amused and began an investigation. In the end, officials believed his claim that he was merely demonstrating flaws in the FBI's security system. Mislock has since theorized that Hanssen probably went onto his computer to see if his superiors were investigating him for espionage and invented the document story to cover his tracks.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|pp=160–161}}</ref>

In 1994, Hanssen expressed interest in a transfer to the new [[National Counterintelligence and Security Center|National Counterintelligence Center]], which coordinated counterintelligence activities. When told that he would have to take a [[lie detector]] test to join, Hanssen changed his mind.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|pp=176–177}}</ref> Three years later, convicted FBI mole [[Earl Edwin Pitts]] told the FBI that he suspected Hanssen due to the Mislock incident. Pitts was the second FBI agent to mention Hanssen by name as a possible mole, but superiors were still unconvinced, and no action was taken.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|p=181}}</ref>

[[Information technology|IT]] personnel from the National Security Division's (NSD) Internet Information Services (IIS) Unit were sent to investigate Hanssen's desktop computer after a reported failure. NSD chief Johnnie Sullivan ordered the computer impounded after it seemed to have been tampered with. A digital investigation found that an attempted hacking had occurred using a [[password cracking]] program installed by Hanssen, which caused a security alert and lockup. After confirmation by the FBI Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) Unit, Sullivan filed a report with the Office of Professional Responsibility requesting the further investigation of Hanssen's attempted hack. Hanssen claimed he was trying to connect a color printer to his computer but needed the password cracker to bypass the administrative password. The FBI believed his story, and Hanssen was merely given a warning.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|p=188}}</ref>

During the same period, Hanssen searched the FBI's internal computer case record to see if he was being investigated. He was indiscreet enough to type his name into FBI search engines. Finding nothing, Hanssen decided to resume his spy career after eight years without contact with the Russians. He established contact with the [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|SVR]] (a successor to the Soviet-era KGB) during the autumn of 1999. He continued to perform incriminating searches of FBI files for his name and address.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wise|2003|pp=190–192}}</ref>