US security agency taking on cybersecurity role

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Published: 25 May, 2010, 04:08
Edited: 25 May, 2010, 08:32

TAGS: Obama, Politics, Internet, Information Technology, USA

Lt. General Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, told a US Senate committee that he would seek to protect the rights of American online.

Despite Alexander's innocuous words, many feel that rather than protecting privacy, the NSA may be violating it.

“It’s like the head of the Stasi in East Germany coming out and talking about privacy of communications. This is really the sum of all fears,” said Wayne Madsen, an investigative journalist and RT contributor.

Madsen said Alexander is basically looking for a mission for the new cyber command.

“We know they’re building this huge warehouse out in Utah that’s going to contain all the transactional and communications records of anyone who’s sent an email, made a phone call, sent a fax or tweeted. That’s where NSA is really coming from. They’re not interested in privacy,” said Madsen.

Some analysts have stated that threats against computer networks in the United States are grossly exaggerated. Madsen agrees.

“They are exaggerated. Every time there is a major hacking event, Pentagon computers get probed or other government computers, they’re always saying China is responsible or Russia is responsible but, with the Internet, you don’t know where these are coming from. They could even be coming from the United States,” said Madsen.

Madsen, also a former NSA employee, was wary of the power of the agency.

“NSA should have had their wings clipped, not expanded,” he said.

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