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The National Security Agency Along With the Central Security Service Make and Break Codes For the United States.

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The NSA along with the Central Security Service makes and breaks codes for the United States.

Created by President Truman in 1952 as part of the Department of Defense it is responsible for the collection of foreign communication and intelligence signals; it is also responsible for protecting U.S. communications from their foreign counterparts.

Headed up by either a vice admiral or lieutenant general, the NSA plays a major role in U.S. intelligence efforts as part of the Intelligence Community.

Contrary to popular opinion the NSA is only responsible for collecting intelligence via communications; other agencies are responsible for human intelligence.

The Central Security Service was created in 1972 to team up with the National Intelligence Agency in order to develop a better working relationship with the intelligence segments in the armed forces.

Between the two segments, the United States has developed one of the premier cryptanalysis and cryptography agencies in the world.

Its two primary missions are carried out by the Signals Intelligence Directorate and the Information Assurance Directorate.

The Signal Intelligence Directorate is in charge of the nation’s efforts at foreign signals intelligence collection.

The Information Assurance Directorate is in charge of protecting the information systems of the United States.

Cryptology and intelligence efforts have long played an important part in American History.

Messages were made and sent by both sides during the Civil War and subsequently caught and decrypted.

Decryption of the Zimmerman Telegraph by the British in 1917 played a role in the eventual U.S. involvement in World War One.

There is no doubt as the Electronic Age continues that the importance and value of the National Security Agency will only grow.

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No Warrant Needed

The purpose of the National Security Agency was to collect foreign intelligence while protecting United States intelligence.

Since 2002 the collection of intelligence has been going on within our borders as much as out.

In 2002, the NSA began conducting wiretaps without the approval of a court order on communications where one party was outside the country.

Many at this time began to wonder about the Constitutionality of these actions yet they continued anyway.

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Wiretapping

Being the nation’s leader in electronic surveillance, the National Security Agency has come under its fair share of fire.

Since 9/11, President Bush has been pushing to widen the net to allow the NSA to tap more communications with even less red tape.

Initially, people did not complain much about it; with the memory of 9/11 still fresh in the public mind people saw the need for action more important than freedom.

The NSA claims that they have stopped using warrantless wiretaps as of February 2007.

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