NSA CTO Patrick Dowd Moonlighting For Private Security Firm

Posted by timothy on Friday October 17, 2014 @09:22PM from the as-distinguished-from-free-enterprise dept.

First time accepted submitter un1nsp1red (2503532) writes Current NSA CTO Patrick Dowd has taken a part-time position with former-NSA director Keith Alexander's security firm IronNet Cybersecurity — while retaining his position as chief technology officer for the NSA. The Guardian states that 'Patrick Dowd continues to work as a senior NSA official while also working part time for Alexander's IronNet Cybersecurity, a firm reported to charge up to $1m a month for advising banks on protecting their data from hackers. It is exceedingly rare for a US official to be allowed to work for a private, for-profit company in a field intimately related to his or her public function.' Some may give Alexander a pass on the possible conflict of interests as he's now retired, but what about a current NSA official moonlighting for a private security firm?

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Keep digging by Anonymous Coward · 2014-10-18 01:34 · Score: 5, Interesting

You'll likely find that Alexanders employer is the NSA, and his company is just a way for them to distance the illegal stuff with a layer of corporate fluff.
Seriously, which bank would pay $1 million a month for advice on protecting their network given by a non-techie? No bank would, so if there's money going into his company at that level, its not for the claimed purpose. Alexander had a long history of flouting the laws of surveillance, and this company could be nothing more than a front for the NSA to continue its illegal stuff while cloaking it in non-accountability.