The National Security Agency / Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is a United States government agency responsible for both the collection and analysis of message communications, and for the security of government communications against similar agencies elsewhere. It is a part of the Department of Defense. Its eavesdropping brief includes radio broadcasting, both from organizations and individuals, the Internet, and other intercepted forms of communication, especially confidential communications. Its secure communications brief includes military, diplomatic, and all other sensitive, confidential or secret government communications. Despite having been described as the world's largest single employer of Ph.D. mathematicians, the owner of the single largest group of supercomputers, and having a budget much larger than that of the CIA, it has had a remarkably low profile until recent years. For a long time its existence was not even admitted by the US government. It has even been referred to as "No Such Agency." Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... An intelligence agency is a governmental organization devoted to gathering of information by means of espionage (spying), communication interception, cryptoanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. ... Communication is the process of exchanging information usually via a common system of symbols. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... Eavesdropping is the intercepting and reading of messages and conversations by unintended recipients. ... Brief redirects here. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video signals (programs) to a number of recipients (listeners or viewers) that belong to a large group. ... The United Nations, with its headquarters in New York City, is the largest international diplomatic organization. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... A mathematician is a person whose area of study and research is mathematics. ... A supercomputer is a computer that leads the world in terms of processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation, at the time of its introduction. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ...

Because of its listening brief, the NSA/CSS has been heavily involved in cryptanalytic research, continuing the work of its predecessor agencies which had been responsible for breaking many World War II codes and cyphers (see, for instance, Purple code, Venona, and JN-25). Cryptanalysis (from the Greek kryptós, hidden, and analýein, to loosen or to untie) is the study of methods for obtaining the meaning of encrypted information without access to the secret information which is normally required to do so. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ... In the context of cryptography, a code is a method used to transform a message into an obscured form, preventing those not in on the secret from understanding what is actually transmitted. ... This article is about algorithms for encryption and decryption. ... A fragment of an actual Purple machine found in Berlin at the end of WWII In the history of cryptography, 97-shiki-obun In-ji-ki (九七式欧文印字機) (System 97 Printing Machine for European Characters) or Angooki Taipu B (暗号機B型) (Type B Cipher Machine), codenamed PURPLE by the United States, was... The VENONA project was a long-running and highly secret collaboration between the United States intelligence agencies and the United Kingdoms MI5 that involved the cryptanalysis of Soviet messages. ... JN-25 is the name used by Western cryptography organizations for the main secure command and control communications scheme used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (JIN) during and before WWII (it was the 25th Japanese Navy system identified). ...

Headquarters for the National Security Agency is at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, approximately ten miles (16 km) northeast of Washington, DC. NSA has its own exit off of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, labeled "NSA Employees Only". The scale of the operations at the NSA is hard to determine from unclassified data, but one clue is the electricity usage of NSA's headquarters. NSA's budget for electricity exceeds US$21 million per year, making it the second largest electricity consumer in the entire state of Maryland. Photos have shown there are about 18,000 parking spaces at the site, although most guesses have put the NSA's workforce at around double that number; employees are sited worldwide. NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland Fort George G. Meade, 5 miles (8 km) northeast of the town of Laurel, Maryland, is an active US Army installation. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296,486 (19th)  - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission into... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... The Baltimore-Washington Parkway (B-W Parkway) is a federally owned freeway, operated by the National Park Service, running parallel to Interstate 95 between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC. Signs at its termini dedicate it to Gladys Noon Spellman. ... Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296,486 (19th)  - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission into...

Its secure government communications brief has involved NSA in production of communications hardware and software, in the production of semiconductors (there is a chip fabrication plant at Ft. Meade), in cryptography research, and contracting with private industry for items, equipment, and research it is not itself prepared to develop or supply. Again, this continues responsibilities inherited from its predecessors (see SIGABA). A semiconductor is a material with an electrical conductance that is intermediate to those of an insulator and a conductor. ... Cryptography has had a long and colourful history. ... SIGABA In the history of cryptography, the ECM Mark II was a rotor machine used by the United States from World War II (WWII) until the 1950s. ...

Agency history

The origins of the National Security Agency can be traced to an organization originally established within the Department of Defense, under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA), on May 20, 1949. The AFSA was to be responsible for directing the communications and electronic intelligence activities of the military intelligence units - the Army Security Agency, Naval Security Group and the Air Force Security Service. However, the agency had little power and lacked a centralized coordination mechanism. The creation of NSA resulted from a December 10, 1951, memo sent by Walter Bedell Smith to James B. Lay, Executive Secretary of the National Security Council. The memo observed that "control over, and coordination of, the collection and processing of Communications Intelligence had proved ineffective" and recommended a survey of communications intelligence activities. The proposal was approved on December 13, 1951, and the study authorized on December 28, 1951. The report was completed by June 13, 1952. Generally known as the "Brownell Committee Report," after committee chairman Herbert Brownell, it surveyed the history of U.S. communications intelligence activities and suggested the need for a much greater degree of coordination and direction at the national level. As the change in the security agency's name indicated, the role of the NSA was extended beyond the armed forces. The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a panel comprising the highest-ranking members of each major branch of the armed services in any particular country. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... NSC can also stand for National Safety Council in several countries such as the US and Ireland. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Herbert Brownell, Jr. ...

NSA was created in June 1952 by Executive Order of President of the United States Harry S. Truman [1]. Truman's Executive Order was itself classified and remained unknown to the public for more than a generation. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... An executive order is a legally binding edict issued by a member of the executive branch of a government, usually the head of that branch. ... Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... For the victim of Mt. ...

Involvement with non-government cryptography

NSA has been involved in debates about public policy, both as a behind-the-scenes advisor to other departments, and directly during and after Vice Admiral Bobby Ray Inman's directorship. Bobby Ray Inman (born 1931) was a U.S. admiral who held several influential positions in the US Intelligence community. ...

The NSA was embroiled in controversy concerning its involvement in the creation of the Data Encryption Standard (DES), a standard and public block cipher used by the US government. During development by IBM in the 1970s, the NSA recommended changes to the algorithm. There was suspicion the agency had deliberately weakened the algorithm sufficiently to enable it to eavesdrop if required. The suspicions were that a critical component — the so-called S-boxes — had been altered to insert a "backdoor"; and that the key length had been reduced, making it easier for the NSA to discover the key using massive computing power. General Designer(s) IBM First published 1975 (January 1977 as the standard) Derived from Lucifer (cipher) Cipher(s) based on this design Triple DES, G-DES, DES-X, LOKI89, ICE Algorithm detail Block size(s) 64 bits Key size(s) 56 bits Structure Feistel network Number of rounds 16 Best... In cryptography, a block cipher is a type of symmetric key cipher which operates on groups of bits of a fixed length, termed blocks. ... International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, or colloquially, Big Blue) (NYSE: IBM) (incorporated June 15, 1911, in operation since 1888) is headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company manufactures and sells computer hardware, software, and services. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... In cryptography, a substitution box (or S-box) is a basic component of symmetric key algorithms. ...

However, the public reinvention of the technique known as differential cryptanalysis suggested that one of the changes (to the S-boxes) had actually been suggested to harden the algorithm against this -- then publicly unknown -- method of attack; differential cryptanalysis remained publicly unknown until it was independently reinvented and published some decades later. The shortening of the 128-bit key used by the IBM submission to a nominal 64, but actually an effective 56, bits is believed to have been a deliberate weakening of the algorithm, making possible an exhaustive search for the key by those with sufficient computer power and funding. Differential cryptanalysis is a general form of cryptanalysis applicable primarily to block ciphers, but also to stream ciphers and cryptographic hash functions. ... In cryptography, a substitution box (or S-box) is a basic component of symmetric key algorithms. ... A key is a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm. ... This article is about algorithms for encryption and decryption. ... The EFFs US$250,000 DES cracking machine contained over 18,000 custom chips and could brute force a DES key in a matter of days — the photograph shows a DES Cracker circuit board fitted with several Deep Crack chips In cryptanalysis, a brute force attack is a method...

Possibly because of previous controversy, the involvement of NSA in the selection of a successor to DES, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) was limited to hardware performance testing (see AES competition). General Designer(s) Vincent Rijmen and Joan Daemen First published 1998 Derived from Square (cipher) Cipher(s) based on this design Crypton (cypher), Anubis (cipher), GRAND CRU Algorithm detail Block size(s) 128 bits note Key size(s) 128, 192 or 256 bits note Structure Substitution-permutation network Number of... Hardware is equipment such as fasteners, keys, locks, hinges, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts, especially when they are made of metal. ... On January 2, 1997 the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, called for cryptographers to propose a new standard block cipher for United States Government use in non_classified but sensitive applications. ...

NSA was a major player in the debates of the mid to late 1990s regarding US munitions export regulations. Cryptographic software and hardware had long been classed with fighter planes, tanks, cannons, and atomic bombs as controllable munitions. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... Since World War II, Western governments, including the U.S. and its NATO allies have regulated the export of cryptography for national security considerations. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... A small cast-iron cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... Materiel (from the French for material) is the equipment and supplies in Military and commercial supply chain management. ...

The NSA/CSS has, at times, attempted to restrict the publication of academic research into cryptography; for example, the Khufu and Khafre block ciphers. In cryptography, Khufu and Khafre are two block ciphers designed by Ralph Merkle in 1989 while working at Xeroxs Palo Alto Research Center. ...

ECHELON

Main article: ECHELON Antenna 4 (through the wire) in former Echelon intelligence gathering station at Silvermine, Cape Peninsula, South Africa. ...

NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland

NSA/CSS, in combination with the equivalent agencies in the United Kingdom (Government Communications Headquarters), Canada (Communications Security Establishment)and Australia (Defence Signals Directorate), and otherwise known as the UKUSA group, is believed to be responsible for, among other things, the operation of the ECHELON system. Its capabilities are suspected to include the ability to monitor a large proportion of the world's transmitted civilian telephone, fax and data traffic. The system has as one of its most important bases the nominally RAF-run station at Menwith Hill (54.0162 N; 1.6826 W) near Harrogate, Yorkshire. Technically, almost all modern telephone, internet, fax & satellite communications are exploitable due to recent advances in technology and the 'open air' nature of a lot of radio communications around the world. National Security Agency headquarters File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... National Security Agency headquarters File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) — previously named the Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS) — is the main British intelligence service providing signals intelligence (SIGINT). ... The CSE badge The Communications Security Establishment or CSE is an intelligence agency of the Canadian government, charged with the duty of keeping track of foreign signals intelligence. ... The Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) is Australias signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection agency. ... The UKUSA Community is an alliance of English-speaking nations for the purpose of gathering intelligence via signals intelligence. ... Antenna 4 (through the wire) in former Echelon intelligence gathering station at Silvermine, Cape Peninsula, South Africa. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Fax (short for facsimile or telefacsimile) is a telecommunications technology used to transfer copies of documents, especially using affordable devices operating over the telephone network. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces. ... Menwith Hill RAF Menwith Hill is an intelligence-gathering base located near the town of Harrogate, UK. Founded in the 1950s to monitor High Frequency radio communications, it has been operated since 1966 by the US National Security Agency (NSA), and has grown to become the worlds biggest spy... Map sources for Harrogate at grid reference SE3055 Harrogate is a town in North Yorkshire, England, with a population of 70,000. ... Yorkshire as a traditional county. ...

Many people oppose NSA's presumed collection operations, assuming that the NSA/CSS infringes on Americans' privacy by spying on the United States' own citizens. However, the NSA's USSID 18 (United States Signals Intelligence Directive) strictly prohibits the interception or collection of ANY information about "..US persons, entities, corporations or organizations..." without explicit written legal permission from the Attorney General of the United States. The Supreme Court has ruled that intelligence agencies cannot conduct surveillance against American citizens. There are of course a few extreme circumstances where collecting on a US entity would be allowed without a USSID 18 waiver, such as with civilian distress signals, or sudden emergencies (such as 9/11; however, the USA PATRIOT Act has significantly changed privacy legality). Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those they choose to give the information to. ... President Bush signs USA PATRIOT Act, October 26, 2001 The USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001)1 (U.S. H.R. 3162, S. 1510, Public Law 107-56) is an act of federal legislation in the...

It has been suggested that in practice, NSA/CSS implements an end run around legal restrictions on internal surveillance by having partner agencies spy on the citizens of other partner's countries, thereby avoiding illegal spying on their own citizens.

In the past, there have been alleged instances of improper violations of USSID 18 that occurred in violation of the NSA's strict charter prohibiting such acts. In addition, ECHELON is considered with indignation by citizens of countries outside the UKUSA alliance, with widespread suspicion that the United States government uses it for motives other than its national security, including political and industrial espionage. The chartered purpose of the NSA/CSS is solely to acquire significant foreign intelligence information pertaining to National Security or ongoing military intelligence operations. The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Liberal democracy History of democracy Referenda Representative democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by ideology... Industrial espionage is espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of the usual national security purposes. ...

Staff

Directors

• 1952–1956 LTG Ralph J. Canine, USA
• 1956–1960 Lt. Gen. John A. Samford, USAF
• 1960–1962 VADM Laurence H. Frost, USN
• 1962–1965 Lt. Gen. Gordon A. Blake, USAF
• 1965–1969 LTG Marshall S. Carter, USA
• 1969–1972 VADM Noel A. M. Gaylor, USN
• 1972–1973 Lt. Gen. Samuel C. Phillips, USAF
• 1973–1977 Lt. Gen. Lew Allen, Jr., USAF
• 1977–1981 VADM Bobby Ray Inman, USN
• 1981–1985 Lt. Gen. Lincoln D. Faurer, USAF
• 1985–1988 LTG William E. Odom, USA
• 1988–1992 VADM William O. Studeman, USN
• 1992–1996 VADM John M. McConnell, USN
• 1996–1999 Lt. Gen. Kenneth A. Minihan, USAF
• 1999–2005 Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, USAF

(USA, USAF, and USN are the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Navy, respectively.) 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Lieutenant General Ralph J. Canine (1895-1969) was the first director of the United States National Security Agency (NSA). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... John Alexander Samford (1905-December 1, 1968) was a former director of the NSA. Samford was born at Hagerman, N.M., in 1905. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Laurence Frost (1902 – ) was a former director of the National Security Agency. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Gordon Aylesworth Blake (1910-September 1, 1997) was a former director of the NSA. Gordon, son of George and Cecelia Blake, Charles City, Iowa, was born in Charles City in 1910, and graduated from high school there in 1927. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... was an officer in the U.S. Army. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Lew Allen was the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Bobby Ray Inman (born 1931) was a U.S. admiral who held several influential positions in the US Intelligence community. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... William Eldridge Odom (born 1932) was a U.S. general. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... William O. Studeman is a retired admiral of the United States Navy and former deputy director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Vice Admiral John M. McConnell (United States Navy) was the director of the National Security Agency between May 1992 and January 1996. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Lieutenant General Kenneth A. Minihan is the former director of the National Security Agency (retired May 1, 1999). ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Michael V. Hayden (born March 17, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) holds the rank of Lieutenant General in the (United States Air Force) and is the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. ...

Deputy Directors

• Dec. 1952–Nov. 1953 RADM Joseph Wenger, USN
• Nov. 1953–June 1956 Brig. Gen. John Ackerman, USAF
• June 1956–Aug. 1956 Maj. Gen. John A. Samford, USAF
• Aug. 1956–Sep. 1957 Mr. Joseph H. Ream
• Oct. 1957–Jul 1958 Dr. H. T. Engstrom
• Aug. 1958–Apr. 1974 Dr. Louis W. Tordella, USN
• Apr. 1974–May 1978 Mr. Benson K. Buffham
• May 1978–Apr. 1980 Mr. Robert E. Drake
• Apr. 1980–July 1982 Ms. Ann Z. Caracristi
• July 1982–June 1985 Mr. Robert E. Rich
• June 1985–Mar. 1988 Mr. Charles R. Lord
• Mar. 1988–July 1990 Mr. Gerald R. Young
• July 1990–Feb. 1994 Mr. Robert L. Prestel
• Feb. 1994–Oct. 1997 Mr. William P. Crowell
• Oct. 1997–June 2000 Ms. Barbara A. McNamara
• June 2000–present Mr. William B. Black, Jr. (Acting Director as of 2005)

1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Rear Admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank that originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... John Alexander Samford (1905-December 1, 1968) was a former director of the NSA. Samford was born at Hagerman, N.M., in 1905. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Dr. Louis W. Tordella (May 1, 1911–January 10, 1996) was the longest serving deputy director of the NSA. Dr. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Barbara A. McNamara was the NSAs Deputy Director from October 1997 until her retirement in June 2000. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... William B. Black, Jr. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notable Cryptanalysts

• Agnes Meyer Driscoll
• William F. Friedman
• Solomon Kullback
• Frank Rowlett
• Abraham Sinkov
• Louis W. Tordella

Agnes Meyer Driscoll (1889-1971) was a United States cryptanalyst. ... William Friedman William Frederick Friedman (September 24, 1891 – November 12, 1969) was a cryptologist in the US Army. ... Solomon Kullback Dr Solomon Kullback (1903–1994) was a US cryptanalyst and mathematician. ... Rowlett Frank Byron Rowlett (May 2, 1908 - June 29, 1998) was an American cryptanalyst. ... Dr. Abraham Sinkov (1907-1998) was a US cryptanalyst. ... Dr. Louis W. Tordella (May 1, 1911–January 10, 1996) was the longest serving deputy director of the NSA. Dr. ...

NSA encryption systems

Main article: NSA encryption systems

NSA is responsible for the encryption-related components in these systems: The National Security Agency took over responsibility for all U.S. Government encryption systems when it was formed in 1952. ...

• EKMS Electronic Key Management System
• FNBDT secure narrow band voice standard
• Fortezza encryption based on portable crypto token in PC Card format
• KL-7 ADONIS off-line rotor encryption machine (post-WW II to 1980s)
• KW-26 ROMULUS electronic in-line teletype encryptor (1960s–1980s)
• KW-37 JASON fleet broadcast encryptor (1960s–1990s)
• KY-57 VINSON tactical radio voice encryptor
• SINCGARS tactical radio with cryptographically controlled frequency hopping
• STE secure telephone
• STU-III older secure telephone

The Electronic Key Management System (EKMS) system is an National Security Agency led program responsible for Communications Security (COMSEC) key management, accounting and distribution. ... FNBDT is the U.S. Governments new standard for secure voice communication. ... Fortezza is also a town in Italy, see: Franzensfeste-Fortezza A Fortezza card made by Mykotronx Corp. ... The PCMCIA is the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, an industry trade association that creates standards for notebook computer peripheral devices. ... KL-7 on display at USAF Communications Agency museum. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 60s and 70s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... An array of KW-26s The TSEC/KW-26, code named ROMULUS, was an encryption system used by the U.S. Government and, later, by NATO countries. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... The KW-37, code named JASON, was an encryption system developed In the 1950s by the U.S. National Security Agency to protect fleet broadcasts of the U.S. Navy. ... // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... The Speech Security Equipment (VINSON), TSEC/KY-57, is a portable, tactical cryptographic device in the VINSON family, designed to provide voice encryption for a range of military communication devices such as radio or telephone. ... SINCGARS stands for Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The STU-III secure telephone STU-III is a family of secure telephones introduced in 1987 by the NSA for use by the United States Government, its allies and its contractors. ...

Past and present SIGINT activities

• Ultra
• Magic (cryptography)
• Purple code
• ECHELON

Ultra (sometimes capitalised ULTRA) was the name used by the British for intelligence resulting from decryption of German communications in World War II. The term eventually became the standard designation in both Britain and the United States for all intelligence from high-level cryptanalytic sources. ... In World War II, Magic was the US codename for intelligence derived from the cryptanalysis of Purple, a Japanese foreign office cipher. ... A fragment of an actual Purple machine found in Berlin at the end of WWII In the history of cryptography, 97-shiki-obun In-ji-ki (九七式欧文印字機) (System 97 Printing Machine for European Characters) or Angooki Taipu B (暗号機B型) (Type B Cipher Machine), codenamed PURPLE by the United States, was... Antenna 4 (through the wire) in former Echelon intelligence gathering station at Silvermine, Cape Peninsula, South Africa. ...

See also

• Central Intelligence Agency
• Central Security Service
• Defense Intelligence Agency
• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
• Department of Homeland Security
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Espionage
• British GCHQ
• Australia Defence Signals Directorate (DSD)
• Skipjack
• TEMPEST prevention of compromising emanations
• Type 1 encryption
• SELinux
• ELINT
• SIGINT
• COMINT

The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... The Central Security Service (CSS) is an agency of the United States government. ... // Overview The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), designated in 1986 as a United States Department of Defense combat support intelligence agency was established in 1961. ... The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), before 2004 known as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), was established October 1, 1996, by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency Act of 1996. ... The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a Cabinet department of the federal government of the United States that is concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. ... Official FBI Seal The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Espionage is the practice of obtaining secrets (spying) from rivals or enemies for military, political, or economic advantage. ... The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) — previously named the Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS) — is the main British intelligence service providing signals intelligence (SIGINT). ... The Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) is Australias signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection agency. ... In cryptography, Skipjack is a block cipher — an algorithm for encryption — developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA). ... TEMPEST is a U.S. government code word for a set of standards for limiting electric or electromagnetic radiation emanations from electronic equipment such as microchips, monitors, or printers. ... In cryptography, a Type 1 product is a device or system certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) for use in cryptographically securing classified U.S. Government information. ... Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) is a version of the Linux kernel and utilities, which contains support for mandatory access controls based on the principle of least privilege. ... ELINT stands for ELectronic INTelligence, and refers to intelligence-gathering by use of electronic sensors. ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ...

Further reading

• Bamford, James (2001). Body of Secrets. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-49907-8
• Bamford, James. The Puzzle Palace. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14006-7485
• Levy, Stephen. Crypto. —discussion of the development of non-government cryptography, including many accounts of tussles with the NSA.
• Radden Keefe, Patrick. Chatter : Dispatches from the Secret World of Global Eavesdropping. Random House. ISBN 1400060346
• Liston, Robert. The Pueblo Surrender: A Covert Action by the National Security Agency ISBN 0871315548
• The Code Breakers
• Super Spies

External links

• NSA official site
• History of NSA
• "The Origins of the National Security Agency, 1940-1952" —newly declassified book-length report provided by [The Memory Hole].
• "Outsourcing Intelligence"
• The National Security Archive at George Washington University
• Cryptome
• CRYPTOME.org - USSID 18 DECLASSIFIED
• All Pages Containing "National Security Agency"
• Federation of American Scientist
• All Pages Containing "National Security Agency"