- Areas Of Involvement:
- intelligence
- communications intelligence
- national security
- cryptography
National Security Agency
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What is the National Security Agency (NSA)?
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a U.S. intelligence agency within the Department of Defense. It is responsible for cryptographic and communications intelligence and security, and its headquarters are in Fort Meade, Maryland.
The NSA was established in 1952 by President Harry S. Truman to provide an effective, unified organization and control of the communications intelligence activities of the United States conducted against foreign governments, and operates within the Department of Defense. The director of the NSA is a military officer of flag rank with a minimum of three stars.
The agency's mission includes the protection and formulation of codes, ciphers, and other cryptology for the U.S. military and other government agencies as well as the interception, analysis, and solution of coded transmissions by electronic or other means. The agency conducts research into all forms of electronic transmissions and operates posts for the interception of signals around the world.
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When was the NSA created and why?
The National Security Agency (NSA) was created in 1952 under President Harry S. Truman. Truman's directive stated the NSA's mission was to unify and control the United States' communications intelligence activities against foreign governments.
The NSA was formed because of the belief that communications intelligence was important and distinct enough to warrant an organization separate from the armed forces and other intelligence agencies. The agency is responsible for protecting U.S. military and government communications through cryptology and intercepting and analyzing coded transmissions.
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What are the main jobs or responsibilities of the NSA?
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a U.S. intelligence agency within the Department of Defense. Established in 1952, the NSA is responsible for cryptographic and communications intelligence and security.
Key responsibilities:
* Protecting and formulating codes, ciphers, and other cryptology for the U.S. military and other government agencies.
* Intercepting, analyzing, and solving coded transmissions via electronic or other means.
* Conducting research into all forms of electronic transmissions.
* Operating posts globally for intercepting signals.The NSA's mandate focuses on foreign communications, with restrictions on targeting U.S. citizens unless considered agents of a foreign power, although exceptions exist for critical national security matters.
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How does the NSA collect information to perform its duties?
The National Security Agency (NSA) is tasked with gathering communications and signals intelligence. The NSA intercepts and analyzes coded transmissions using electronic and other methods, and it also researches all forms of electronic transmissions. The agency operates posts worldwide to intercept signals.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 restricts the NSA from targeting U.S. citizens unless they are considered agents of a foreign power. Amendments in 2008 relaxed these restrictions, allowing the agency to monitor domestic communications without a warrant if one party is reasonably believed to be outside the United States.
In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked classified information about NSA surveillance programs, including the collection of information from U.S. Internet service providers (PRISM) and metadata on cellular phone calls.
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What is cryptography, and why is it important to the NSA?
Cryptography is the practice of encoding and deciphering messages to keep them secret, rendering them unintelligible to anyone except the intended recipient. Cryptanalysis is related to cryptography and is the method of breaking cryptographic codes. Cryptology is the science of secure communication, involving both cryptography and cryptanalysis.
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a U.S. intelligence agency responsible for cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. The agency formulates codes, ciphers, and other cryptology for the U.S. military and other government agencies. The NSA also intercepts, analyzes, and solves coded transmissions by electronic or other means.
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How has the NSA been involved in recent events or controversies?
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a U.S. intelligence agency within the Department of Defense responsible for communications intelligence and security. It was established in 1952 by President Harry S. Truman.
In 2013, the NSA's activities came under scrutiny after Edward Snowden leaked classified information about surveillance programs, including the collection of data from U.S. internet service providers (PRISM) and metadata on cellular phone calls. These programs, while designed to target non-Americans, also collected data from Americans who communicated with them.
During the 2016 presidential election, Jill Stein stated that Edward Snowden "has done the American people an incredible service by exposing the violations of the Constitution".
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
National Security Agency (NSA), U.S. intelligence agency within the Department of Defense that is responsible for cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. Its headquarters are in Fort Meade, Maryland.
The NSA grew out of the communications intelligence activities of U.S. military units during World War II. It was established in 1952 by a presidential directive from Harry S. Truman in which he specified its mission as
to provide an effective, unified organization and control of the communications intelligence activities of the United States conducted against foreign governments, to provide for integrated operational policies and procedures pertaining thereto.
The NSA was created in part out of the belief that the importance and distinct character of communications intelligence warranted an organization distinct from both the armed forces and the other intelligence agencies. While it operates within the Department of Defense, the NSA also belongs to the Intelligence Community (a coalition of 17 intelligence agencies) and as such acts under the supervision of the director of national intelligence. The director of the NSA is a military officer of flag rank (i.e., a general or an admiral) with a minimum of three stars. Not being a creation of Congress, the NSA often acts outside of congressional review; it is the most secret of all U.S. intelligence agencies.
The agency’s mission includes the protection and formulation of codes, ciphers, and other cryptology for the U.S. military and other government agencies as well as the interception, analysis, and solution of coded transmissions by electronic or other means. The agency conducts research into all forms of electronic transmissions. It also operates posts for the interception of signals around the world. In 1972 a joint organization, the Central Security Service (CSS), was created to coordinate the intelligence efforts of the NSA with the U.S. military. The director of the NSA also heads the CSS (under the title of Chief, CSS).
The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) restricts the NSA mandate to the interception of foreign communications and forbids the agency from targeting a U.S. citizen unless the latter is considered an “agent of a foreign power.” In exceptional cases that are considered critical to national security, the agency can obtain a warrant to intercept domestic communications. In 2008, amendments to FISA relaxed those restrictions and allowed the agency to monitor domestic communications without a warrant as long as one party is reasonably believed to be outside the United States.
In 2013 NSA activities were put in the limelight after a former computer security contractor, Edward Snowden, leaked classified information about two surveillance programs—one collecting information from U.S. Internet service providers (PRISM) and the second collecting so-called metadata on cellular phone calls (information including phone numbers and length of the calls but not their content). Those programs were designed to target non-Americans, but they also collected a massive amount of information from Americans with whom those individuals had communicated. Other NSA programs included the extensive, worldwide, and allegedly untargeted collection of text messages (Dishfire) and of the locations of cell phones.
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While less known to the American public than the Central Intelligence Agency, the NSA is believed to be far larger in size in terms of workforce and budget. According to Michael Hayden, a former director (1999–2005) of the NSA, it is also the world’s largest collector of foreign signals intelligence.