How the NSA Got So Smart So Fast

Re:How the NSA Got So Smart So Fast by mpyne on Thursday June 13, 2013 @01:17PM (#5875237)

They were selected because they are the most credible; as the ones responsible for developing the most advanced cryptanalytic and signals interception capabilities possible they are also the ones best suited to identify attacks against which the U.S. must defend themselves, and provide suitable countermeasures.

For instance, NSA fixed a problem in what became IBM's DES crypto standard before the cryptanalytic community even knew what the attack was. So there's at least evidence that NSA takes that part of their mission goals seriously, and that NSA required the knowledge/skills/abilities of their "other half" in order to properly carry out those duties.

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Re:How the NSA Got So Smart So Fast by fnordfnordfnord on Thursday June 13, 2013 @02:11PM (#5875591)

I would say most competent. I still think that it is a terribly conflicted set of roles, and that they've poisoned their position of trust. They still have the incentive to protect US interests from foreign enemies, including commercial ones as in the IBM example you cited; but, there is no longer any reason to think that those interests are protected from government agents with access.

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