NSA Should Thank Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden’s decision in 2013 to leak secret documents about America’s mass surveillance programs did not end them completely. But the reforms adopted in the wake of his disclosures have strengthened not only Americans’ privacy, but the National Security Agency’s (NSA) ability to collect intelligence.

Make no mistake, these reforms would not have happened without a whistleblower like Snowden. Obama’s aides showed little interest in reforming mass surveillance until the Snowden leaks forced their hands.

It was Snowden who forced the NSA to be more transparent, accountable, and protective of privacy. The NSA took painful steps to open up. It released thousands of pages of previously top-secret documents in a transparency drive intended to put the Snowden leaks in context. The head of the intelligence community now publishes an annual transparency report. Congress ended bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records after an outside review found it to be of marginal value.

More fundamentally, Snowden enlarged the way the US government thinks about privacy. The Snowden documents outraged friendly governments and embarrassed US technology companies in the global marketplace.

In response, Obama issued new rules requiring the NSA to consider the privacy not only of Americans, but of everyone in the world. Despite President Donald Trump’s nationalist rhetoric, the new administration is sticking with these rules. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats agrees that the rules protecting foreigners’ privacy in intelligence collection have helped to reassure European allies.

In fact, one of the biggest beneficiaries of the post-Snowden reforms has been the NSA itself.

The system that Congress created to end the NSA’s bulk collection of telephone records from American companies has actually given the agency’s analysts access to data from more companies than before.

The old bulk collection program was limited for reasons of secrecy, trust, and logistics to a few large providers. According the NSA’s top lawyer, this has given the agency access to “a greater volume of call records” than it had before, without the responsibility of storing the billions of irrelevant records it used to collect each day under the old program.

It turns out that transparency and privacy protection go hand in hand with good intelligence.

Last year, former Attorney General Eric Holder offered qualified praise for Snowden. “We can certainly argue about the way in which Snowden did what he did, but I think he actually performed a public service by raising the debate that we engaged in and by the changes that we made,” he said. (He said in the same interview that what Snowden did was “inappropriate and illegal.”) Despite the dislike my old colleagues in the intelligence community have for Snowden, I have heard many of them privately express similar views.

Trump has inherited the most powerful apparatus for mass surveillance the world has ever seen. While the post-Snowden reforms are a good first step, we delude ourselves if we think they have made the NSA tyrant-proof.

In Snowden’s first interview from Hong Kong, he warned against “turnkey tyranny.” One day, he said, “a new leader will be elected” and “they’ll flip the switch.”

It is important that this warning not be proved prophetic. This year, Congress will review the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), in which Section 702 allows warrantless NSA surveillance of foreign targets who may be in contact with Americans.

While the law has produced valuable intelligence, it requires additional reforms to protect privacy. Now more than ever, protecting civil liberties is a cause worth fighting for, not only for the surveillance state’s discontents but for the surveillance state itself.

Fortune

You Might Also Read:

Snowden: NSA Should Have Prevented WannaCry Attacks:

US Intelligence Agencies Fear Insiders As Much As Spies:

 

« N.Korea Will Target UK Financial Services
Russian Cyber Campaign Aims To Splinter US Voters »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

The PC Support Group

The PC Support Group

A partnership with The PC Support Group delivers improved productivity, reduced costs and protects your business through exceptional IT, telecoms and cybersecurity services.

Clayden Law

Clayden Law

Clayden Law advise global businesses that buy and sell technology products and services. We are experts in information technology, data privacy and cybersecurity law.

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

Armor

Armor

Armor provide managed cloud security solutions for public, private, hybrid or on-premise cloud environments.

Celestya

Celestya

Celestya is dedicated to providing the most advanced and cost effective systems for human behavior education on cybersecurity awareness training.

DG Technology

DG Technology

DG Technology is a customer-centric technology expert and business consultant that delivers services and products to minimize your information security, compliance, and business risks.

FedRAMP

FedRAMP

FedRAMP, is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services.

At-Bay

At-Bay

At-Bay offer an end-to-end solution to cyber risk with comprehensive risk assessment, a tailored cyber insurance policy and year-long, active, risk-management service.

Bolt Learning

Bolt Learning

Bolt's Cyber Security eLearning module provides users with an in-depth understanding of cybercrime, how it can occur and what everyone can contribute to preventing it.

International Association of Security Awareness Professionals (IASAP)

International Association of Security Awareness Professionals (IASAP)

IASAP provides a members-only virtual sharing platform where security awareness professionals engage in a lively, year-round exchange of information and ideas.

Crosspoint Capital Partners

Crosspoint Capital Partners

Crosspoint Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm focused on the cybersecurity and privacy sectors.

HighPoint

HighPoint

HighPoint is a leading technology infrastructure solutions provider offering consultancy, solutions and managed services for network infrastructure and cybersecurity.

ChaosSearch

ChaosSearch

ChaosSearch is a massively scalable ELK-compatible log analysis platform delivered as a fully managed service with high-performance and low cost.

Syracom

Syracom

syracom is a consultancy firm specialized in development of efficient business processes. With our expertise and IT competence, we develop tailored solutions for customers in various industries.

IPKeys Cyber Partners

IPKeys Cyber Partners

IPKeys Cyber Partners, together with the IPKeys Power Partners unit, provide Cyber Security and CIP Compliance for utilities, grid operators and public safety organization across the USA.

ThrottleNet

ThrottleNet

ThrottleNet provides world-class managed IT services and cybersecurity to organizations in St. Louis and throughout Missouri.

ArmorPoint

ArmorPoint

ArmorPoint redefines the traditional approach to cybersecurity by combining network operations, security operations, and SIEM technology in one platform.

Buguard

Buguard

Buguard is a multi-award-winning supplier of Application Security Assessments and GRC services.

New Relic

New Relic

After inventing application performance monitoring (APM), New Relic stands at the forefront of observability with the most advanced platform for eliminating digital interruptions.