Information Assurance Mission example essay topic

National Security Agency / Central Security Service The National Security Agency / Central Security Service (NSA / CSS) was established in November 1952 to provide a crypto logic organization for the civilian and military leaders of the United States and to provide them with timely information. The National Security Agency (NSA) coordinates, directs, and performs highly specialized activities to produce foreign intelligence information and protect United States information systems through two main missions, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA). The Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) mission uses crypto logic machines to break foreign codes to find out what they know and what they are doing. The biggest accomplishment publicly known was when they broke the Japanese military code in World War II and learned that Japan had plans of invading Midway Island. This allowed us to attack and destroy Japan's superior fleet. With this intelligence, it was said to have shortened the Pacific war by over one year.

The Information Assurance (IA) mission becomes more important every day as technology becomes more advanced. The Information Assurance (IA) mission is to make all government equipment that is used to send classified and sensitive information impenetrable so that no one can hack into them and steal viable information belonging to the United States. These two missions together promote a single goal: information superiority for America and its Allies. To accomplish these two main missions the NSA has established four main goals to follow: 1. Deliver Responsive Signals Intelligence and Information Assurance for National Security under Any Circumstance. 2.

Radically Improve the Production and Protection of Information. 3. Enhance an Expert Workforce to Meet Global Cryptologic Challenges. 4.

Create and Integrate Business Management Capabilities Within the Enterprise and With Stakeholders. The NSA also has one of the biggest research and development programs in the United States. It is said that the NSA employs more mathematicians than anyone else in the U.S. and possibly the world to help design and develop cipher systems that will protect information systems and search for weaknesses within the existing ones. Though NSA research and development is top secret, some of its past accomplishments were the development of the first large-scale computer and the first solid-state computer which led to the development of the modern computer. The NSA was also responsible for the development of the tape cassette. I believe the NSA has proven to be one of our greatest agencies.

Not only has it developed technology to be used among every day civilians such as computers and cassette tapes, but has also developed life saving equipment including communication and code cracking machines for the men and women of our military. While serving in the U.S. Navy, I was stationed in a squadron that used spy planes equipped with modern day crypto machines. This technology was developed in the research and development teams of the NSA agencies to intercept signals from foreign enemies. We used these signals to alert our marine and army men on the ground of the location of the enemy.

In some instances, this intercepted material was proven to be life saving for our people that were on the ground because we discovered that our enemies were planning to attack us and before they did our ground troops were able to prepare and to strike back. Although the NSA is very restrictive about what is reported to the civilian population, I think the job that is performed by the NSA is one that is very vital to the U.S. government and the men and women of our nation.