White House, NSA at Odds Over Cyber

Officials in Anne Arundel County have spent much of the last year looking to get a handle on the number of jobs coming to the area due to cyber security efforts at Fort Meade. But nailing down that job figure could prove hard, as government officials apparently can’t even agree on the specifics of the cyber mission.

The Washington Post reported Monday that the National Security Agency and the White House are at odds over the government’s role in protecting private-sector computer networks. The Post said there appears to be a rift between NSA, which has asked for expanded power to protect critical areas such as the nuclear power industry, and President Obama, who has expressed concerns over personal privacy. From the Post:

"NSA officials portrayed these measures as unobtrusive ways to protect the nation’s vital infrastructure from what they say are increasingly dire threats of devastating cyberattacks.

But the White House and Justice Department argued that the proposal would permit unprecedented government monitoring of routine civilian Internet activity, according to documents and officials familiar with the debate.”

The Post reported that even Gen. Keith Alexander, the commander at NSA and head of U.S. Cyber Command, has been told to “restrain his public comments “ after arguing for expanded legal authority. Meanwhile, the White House blocked a draft of a bill that would have allowed NSA to scan private networks for viruses.

Cyber security is considered a top driver for job growth at Fort Meade. NSA and U.S. Cyber Command are expected to bring in thousands of skilled workers as they bolster America’s ability to fend off computer threats. Each branch of the military also has its own cyber command.

But there is still no clarity on exactly what the cyber mission should involve.

A second article in the Post outlined a disagreement over the differences between cyber "defense" and cyber "offense."

"The issue has long been a subject of debate inside the Pentagon. As long as the military is acting inside its own networks, it is on solid legal ground. But legal and policy questions surround the extent to which the military can take actions outside its network without having to get presidential approval."

Recent figures from Anne Arundel County officials indicate the cyber commands But officials said those figures could be revised upward and do not include cyber-related jobs at NSA.

In speaking with the business community last year, former Fort Meade Garrison Commander Lt. Daniel Thomas said it was difficult to predict

“Right now with cyber, no one's sure what it's going to look like when it's done" Thomas said.