NSA Celebrates 60th Birthday

NSA at Fort Meade

On November 4, the U.S. National Security Agency, currently located at Fort Meade in Maryland, exists 60 years. Since its establishment in 1952, the ever growing NSA has become the largest U.S. intelligence organisation with more than 30,000 employees.

NSA's Signals Intelligence Directorate is specialised in interception and analysis of foreign communications and signals intelligence. NSA is responsible for cryptanalysis (code breaking) of foreign communications and they are also pioneering in advanced cryptography research, to provide the U.S. government, the military and the civilian market with the latest secure communications equipment. Together with the Central Security Service and the National Cyber Security Division, NSA's Information Assurance Directorate has a most challenging tast in protecting all American information systems.

On November 7, 2012, NSA released the beautiful anniversary publication 60 Years of Defending Our Nation (pdf 19 MB, right-click to download), a 62 page illustrated volume, describing NSA's history and many achievements. More in formation on its press room pages.

There's a a 45 minutes documentary video about the NSA at my Cryptology Documentaries post. Several other posts about NSA are found at this link.