In a changing of roles that is sure to have the privacy watchdogs crying foul, the NSA has a new job. In addition to breathing heavily on your phone calls they are now tasked with defending against the furry-toothed-hacker-set.
From the Balitmore Sun:
In a major shift, the National Security Agency is drawing up plans for a new domestic assignment: helping protect government and private communications networks from cyberattacks and infiltration by terrorists and hackers, according to current and former intelligence officials.
From electricity grids to subways to nuclear power plants, the United States depends more than ever on Internet-based control systems that could be manipulated remotely in a terrorist attack, security specialists say.
The plan calls for the NSA to work with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to monitor such networks to prevent unauthorized intrusion, according to those with knowledge of what is known internally as the “Cyber Initiative.” Details of the project are highly classified.
Read on.
Tags: NSA, Hacker Defense, Cyber Defense, NSA Hacker Defenders
