16 April 2015

NSA’s New “Snowden-Proof” Computer System

Frank Konkel
April 12, 2015

NSA’s Grand Plan to Snowden-Proof Its Data Using the Cloud

Almost two years ago, the National Security Agency forever lost its “No Such Agency” nickname at the hands of one of its contractors – a once-trusted insider by the name of Edward Snowden.

Snowden’s stream of leaked NSA secrets about classified surveillance programs shined the public spotlight on the clandestine government organization. Though the stream has now dissipated to a trickle, the impact to the intelligence community continues.

To privacy activists, Snowden’s leaks were a godsend. They forced a national discussion on government surveillance and even coaxing the likes of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to admit the intelligence community needs to be more transparent.

Yet, the leaks have “had a material impact” on NSA’s ability to generate intelligence around the world, NSA Director Michael Rogers said back in February.

Within NSA’s Fort Meade, Maryland, headquarters, no one wants to face another Snowden. With NSA’s widespread adoption of cloud computing, the spy agency may not have to.

Could the Cloud Have Stopped Snowden?

NSA bet big on cloud computing as the solution to its data problem several years ago.

No comments: