[ISN] NSA security expert worries about mobility, cloud

https://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/052812-nsa-cloud-mobility-259601.html

By Dirk A. D. Smith
Network World
May 29, 2012

Approaching its 60th birthday, the National Security Agency (NSA) has a 
staff some 35,000 strong worldwide, and an impressive building complex 
in Fort Meade, Md., where the walls are lined with copper mesh to 
prevent electronic eavesdropping. True to its origins dating back to 
breaking enemy code during World War II, the agency has two primary 
missions: signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA).

Although the NSA is typically depicted as the most super-secret of 
federal agencies, it does post valuable reports on security best 
practices on its Web site. And Neal Ziring, the NSA's technical director 
of the Information Assurance Directorate (IAD), recently agreed to an 
in-depth interview.


What is information assurance for the NSA?

"Information Assurance for us is the ability for our customers, national 
security customers, to know that their information is only accessible to 
those who need it, is accessible to those who need it when they need it, 
that it has integrity - it hasn't been altered - and more recently, 
cyber defense.

"We have certain responsibilities under National Security Directive 42 
and we provide cryptography for the community, certain types of 
defensive services, security guidance, security analysis, security 
architecture and engineering services, and we perform key management on 
the behalf of the community."

[...]


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