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New Report On NSA Released Today

Posted by kdawson on from the some-of-the-secrets-some-of-the-time dept.

daveschroeder writes "George Washington University has today released a three-volume history of NSA activities during the Cold War (major highlights). Written by agency historian Thomas R. Johnson, the 1,000-page report, 'Cryptology During the Cold War, 1945-1989,' details some of the agency's successes and failures, its conflict with other intelligence agencies, and the questionable legal ground on which early American cryptologists worked. The report remained classified for years, until Johnson mentioned it to Matthew Aid, an intelligence historian, at an intelligence conference. Two years later, an abstract and the three current volumes of the report are now available (PDF) from GWU and the National Security Archive. Aid, author of the forthcoming history 'The Secret Sentry: The Top Secret History of the National Security Agency,' says Johnson's study shows 'refreshing openness and honesty, acknowledging both the NSA's impressive successes and abject failures during the Cold War.' A fourth volume remains classified. Johnson says in an audio interview: 'If you are performing an operation that violates a statute like FISA, it's going to come out. It always comes out.'" And reader sampas zooms in on a section in Document 6 about the growth of NSA's IT: their first Cray purchase in 1976, the growth of circuits between facilities, and internal feuds over centralized IT development vs. programmers-in-departments. "A young systems engineer named [redacted] was urging NSA to look at some technology that had been developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In 1969 DARPA had developed a computer internetting system called ARPANET... NSA quickly adopted the DARPA solution. The project was called platform."

6 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. On an unrelated note... by Killer+Orca · · Score: 5, Funny

    everyone who clicks the links will become a person of interest to the NSA.

    1. Re:On an unrelated note... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Having done quite a bit of research on nuclear everything (from power generation to weapons to propulsion) and then openly sharing that information with others, I'm sure I'm already a person of interest. So if you don't mind, I'll just go ahead and click away! ;-)

      P.S. Gun-type bombs are easy. All you need is a critical mass of U235-- err... never mind. I seem to have guests. I'll get back to you...

      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  2. [Redacted] by Phrogman · · Score: 5, Funny

    [Redacted]

    --
    "The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
  3. Writes its own limerick, really. by Net0ps · · Score: 5, Funny

    A young systems engineer named [redacted]
    Was urging the NSA to look at some [redacted]
        He [redacted] the [redacted],
        so they [redacted] in [redacted],
    and [redacted] the [redacted] in [CLASSIFIED DUE TO MATTERS OF NATIONAL SECURITY].

  4. Intesesting museum by plopez · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The National Cryptologic Museum, I found it very interesting. If you are in the area you might give it an hour or two.

    http://www.nsa.gov/MUSEUM/museu00009.cfm

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    1. Re:Intesesting museum by SemiSpook · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Especially when they tell you about the Wall of Honor, and the fact that there are several individuals that cannot be revealed because those missions are still classified.

      But, if you do get a chance to go, play with the Enigma machine they have on display. That was something that practically blew my mind when I first encountered it in the flesh.