Inside NSA: We Brought In a Recording Device So You Don’t Have To

The NSA is not exactly known for engaging with the public. The old “No Such Agency” joke more or less captured the agency’s traditional posture: the less said, the better. Whatever the merits of that approach from the perspective of protecting sources and methods of SIGINT collection, however, it comes at a huge cost in terms of public credibility, as the events of the past six months have underscored.

Well, some agencies are born open, some achieve openness, and this one has had openness thrust upon it.

In recent months, the agency been taking preliminary steps—themselves dramatic for a signals intelligence agency—to engage the public debate. Tomorrow evening, for example, 60 Minutes will air a segment on NSA that reflects considerable cooperation with CBS. A preview snippet is posted here, and the full program will be well-worth watching.

For those who want a more granular and lengthy glimpse behind the curtain? Well, that’s where Lawfarecomes in. All this week, starting Monday morning, we’ll be posting a series of podcasts we’re calling “Inside NSA: We Brought in a Recording Device So You Don’t Have To...”

http://www.lawfareblog.com/2013/12/inside-the-nsa-we-brought-in-a-recording-device-so-you-dont-have-to/