NSA DHS to Cooperate on Cyber Security

National Security Agency (NSA) head Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander announced during his speech at the RSA Conference 2009 that the NSA cannot take on the job of enforcing cyber security alone for the federal government networks. In fact, he wishes to cooperate with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the development and application of cyber security programs for government and military networks.

The NSA had received flack after it was reported that it was actively pursuing a leadership role in the nation’s cyber security program, after a completion of the review on the United States’ cyber security situation. Critics feared that NSA’s current role as spy agency may be contradicting with handling federal network security, and may even trample freedom and privacy of government employees. These concerns arose when the director of the National Cybersecurity Center (or NCSC, an agency under the DHS) Rod Beckstrom had resigned after only one year on the job. In his resignation letter, Beckstrom expressed his concern that the NSA may be trying to exert its authority onto the NCSC. He believed that the nature of NSA’s intelligence technique involving covert data collection may run in conflict with the needed cooperation and information between agencies which Beckstrom believed was necessary in defending both federal and private networks from external threats.

Alexander addressed these concerns in his speech, and reiterated that his agency was willing to provide support and help the DHS in doing its duty to secure American cyber defense. He believes that the NSA’s expertise in data collection and analysis as well as in cryptography is essential in battling and predicting threats. He also believes that cooperation is essential in their goal, and that no single agency or entity should be in total control of the operation.

Beckstrom was pleased to hear about Alexander’s statements, particularly about the NSA’s willingness to cooperate. He encourages a good discussion on the extent and capabilities of the NSA influence. He also believes that federal budget should be balanced among involved agencies such as the DHS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and even the Department of Commerce. These agencies may need extra funding to take and active role in security, Beckstrom believes, and will also make sure that each agency will have a balance in power. Aside from that, the government as a whole will need to closely work with the private sector as well to help prevent private networks from succumbing to cyber security threats.

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