Clapper made this dire warning: "This is a dreamland for foreign intelligence services to recruit, particularly as employees -- already many of whom are subject to furloughs driven by sequestration -- are going to have Â… even greater financial challenges."

In other words, the shutdown is increasing the risk that intelligence and law enforcement officials fall into debt – and paying off debt is a key sales point foreign governments make to potential spies.

In fact, many U.S. intelligence agencies won't give security clearances to applicants who have significant debt out of fear they could be vulnerable to foreign governments' recruitment efforts.