Fergie's Tech Blog

NSA Chief: 'We Do Not Want to Run Cyber Security'

Kim Zetter writes on Threat Level:

NSA Director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, speaking at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco, told the audience of security professionals on Tuesday that the NSA does "not want to run cyber security for the United States government."

Aiming to dispel news reports -- and counter previous intelligence agency statements -- that the National Security Agency is angling to grab the top spot in the government's cyber security initiative, Alexander said it's a job that's bigger than one agency and that the NSA isn't looking to control but rather to partner with DHS, other defense departments, industry and law enforcement.

Alexander's statement seemed to belie statements made two months ago by Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair, who told the House intelligence committee that the NSA, rather than the Department of Homeland Security which currently oversees cybersecurity, should take over securing cyberspace.

posted by Fergie @ 4/21/2009 01:40:00 PM