Terrorism Fight Prods NSA to Look Beyond Its Fortress

[Rose Siding]

Nicknamed "No Such Agency" and "Never Say Anything" for its legendary secrecy, the National Security Agency conceals its headquarters behind tall fences topped with barbed wire. Its employees are in the business of breaking codes, eavesdropping and guarding secrets. And its normally reticent leaders rarely call attention to themselves outside the agency's sprawling campus.

So it was an extraordinary event when some of the agency's top officials emerged in Annapolis about a year ago at the opening of a business center dedicated to helping start-up homeland security companies.

Their message was also extraordinary: The NSA needs help fighting the war against global terrorism.
...
As the intelligence industry continues to expand since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the clandestine agency is playing a more prominent -- and visible -- role in the Washington region. With plans to hire 7,500 new employees over five years, the NSA, already Anne Arundel County's largest employer, is undergoing its largest recruiting drive since the Cold War.

The agency is also increasingly opening its doors to private companies for help in developing spy technologies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43264-2005Jan2.html

[pimpbot]

1. Thank outsourcing

Only reason they are looking "outside" the fortress is because the gov't wont/cant pay the money these types of professions require. So, instead of paying a govt IT guy $70k a year, they contract it out for $250k, where some contractor makes $65k, and Booz Allen makes the rest. Around the DC area, if you work in a tech area, the govt doesnt pay jack compared to private companies.

Some of you on here complained about the govts 3.5% pay increase. If they keep shafting civil servants, the entire work force will be outsourced to contractors, making slightly more money, but MORE tax dollars will goto private companies. Think about it, would you rather pay a person more $, or a big defense contractor more $.

(end rant)

[Supersedeas]

2. a cry for help??? Thought Condi had it all under control over there.