The National Security Agency (NSA) is a United States government agency and signals intelligence organization responsible for protecting the security of the United States and its allies. It was established in 1952 and is headquartered in Fort Meade, Maryland. It is the main cryptologic agency of the United States Department of Defense and is charged with gathering, analyzing, and protecting all foreign and domestic signals intelligence – including telephone calls, emails, text messages, and internet activities.
The NSA works closely with the Central Security Service (CSS), a sub-agency of the NSA that specializes in military cryptologic operations. The NSA and the CSS are often collectively referred to as the Cryptologic Community and has its headquarters in Fort Meade. The NSA operates a global network of surveillance satellites as well as massive supercomputers capable of cracking coded information. NSA is also one of the largest employers of mathematicians in the world.
NSA is the largest producer of intelligence in the world and is a leader in the world of cryptology – the art of using complicated methods to decipher and encode information. The NSA also collects and analyzes data from communications networks, which is used for signals intelligence purposes. The agency’s activities also include intelligence gathering, cyber security, and cryptography research.
In addition to its cryptologic function, the NSA also assists in American diplomatic, national security, and military operations. It provides technical assistance to the Department of Defense and the president, and also provides signals intelligence and technical analysis to other government departments.
The NSA’s activities are largely secret, as its operations involve sensitive security issues. However, it is known that the agency has been involved in controversial privacy violations, such as warrantless surveillance of American citizens, as revealed by Edward Snowden. Despite these issues, the NSA continues to play an important role in national security.
