If you are an enterprise technologist from any sector I implore you, please learn from trusted sources what the situation at NSA is. It is especially important that technologists understand the facts since we are the ones who can help people understand the technologies involved.
I have seen and heard first-hand how people can jump to the wrong conclusion because they were mis-informed or because they believed something from a headline or article designed to intentionally mis-lead. You can find headlines that read “How the NSA betrayed the world’s trust” or “Surveillance is setting fire to the Internet.” All of us have seen 100’s of headlines designed to inflame and many are just flat out lies.
I have seen first-hand what the truth can do. From my experience, when people get the facts they come to the conclusion that NSA is an organization with appropriate oversight doing hard things for the right reason. You might have disagreements over some of what is done. That is just the nature of a democracy. But when you have the facts you are able to disagree and dialog intelligently.
One of the greatest sources of facts over the last year has been Rick Ledgett. He is now the deputy director of NSA. I trust him and when he provides facts you can bet they are well-founded. When he speaks we should listen.
With that as an intro, his latest articulation of NSA roles, missions and capabilities is at this link and embedded below:
