Ride the Lightning

NSA Director Says Damage From Snowden Leaks Can be Contained

July 1, 2014

The Washington Post reported yesterday that National Security Agency Director Michael S. Rogers has said in an interview with the New York Times that he believes that in the long run, the damage from information leaked by former agency contractor Edward Snowden can be contained.

Rogers said he has tried to be "very specific and measured" when he describes the damage Snowden inflicted. He does believe the government's working relationships with companies such as Verizon, AT&T and social media companies have been damaged, perhaps permanently.

"I understand why we are where we are," he said. “I don’t waste a lot of time saying, ‘Why wouldn’t you want to work with us?’" That would be wasted time indeed Admiral.

Many companies, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have led the charge opposing government surveillance programs and they have moved aggressively to publicize the requests they have received and their own efforts to fight those requests.  

While Rogers said he doesn't believe that the agency can ever be fully insulated against leaks, he is taking steps to change the protocols at the NSA to prevent another leak on the scale of Snowden's. Changes to the agency's systems, for example, have been designed to limit the volume of information that could be taken from them.

Well, the horse is long gone, but the barn door is now closed – though one has to wonder if someone else will find a way to open it again.

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