National Security Agency

#StoriesofNSA – I started my career in one of NSA’s student programs but I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue to full-time. Then during my last tour in the Cybersecurity Directorate, I found these key people that were a perfect fit for my personality and style of work. I just fell in love with them. They made an authentic and genuine gesture to ensure I was taken care of and that I had the room and freedom to do what I was good at. These people really had an impact on me and taught me how to engage at a different levels. They were ultimately the reason why I decided to convert to full-time at the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center. Prior to the agency, I had been exposed to the venture capital and startup ecosystem through various internships and programs. I love to be scrappy and creative. I wanted to be part of something like that. The Cybersecurity Collaboration Center team had that vibe. We really are, in a sense, like a Series B startup because we ask similar questions about ourselves: How do we manage churn? How do we expand our market-share? How do we maintain substantive relationships with our partners? How do we make sure that we are understanding the evolving competitive landscape? These questions are what attracted me to work full time at NSA. With a startup mentality, the results of my team speak for themselves. Because of this atmosphere, we have been able to enroll over 1,200 DoD small-to-medium sized companies into NSA’s cybersecurity services. We have empowered Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies to get ahead of nation-state threats. We have tangible stories where we've been able to prevent bad outcomes. At the end of the day, I’m proud of my organization and the people that make the mission possible. I think it’s cool that I work with people with solid value systems. Knowing that you finished the day with these kinds of people, and that you did it with such a great team, that’s really something.

#StoriesofNSA - I grew up locally and unbeknownst to me, all my neighbors worked at NSA. I graduated from college, didn't have a job immediately and one day my parents were out walking the dog when a neighbor mentioned that NSA was hiring. The next day, the neighbor brought an sf86 to my dad to give to me. My dad was so eager for me to work there that he sat down beside me and made sure I filled it out. At the time, I was pursuing a job as a flight attendant so I could go see the world. Eventually, I took the job at NSA and wound up seeing the world. I didn't know what to expect, the interviews didn't provide a lot of context about the agency. I was surprised to meet so many other young people. On my first day, I made a lifelong friend and have made many long-term friends since. What I thought was just a job, quickly became enmeshed with every part of my life. The mission is just so engaging and meaningful and compelling, along with the people; those things brought me to work. There was something else that surprised me too, the benefits provided to me as a working mom. I had my first child during the first Gulf War and ended up returning to work early. I was torn, but felt I needed to go back. When I arrived, I was surprised to learn that there was a nursing mom's room (which I ended up using 5 more times in my life). That was a progressive concept for any organization at the time. It allowed me to do something only I could do for my child, while serving our nation. And it turned out to be a wonderful support network for working moms. I have described NSA to people as a place where you feel so much purpose and goodness in what you do. You work with brilliant people who have a commitment that I don't think is fully appreciated or understood. It's so exciting and despite its size, its very people focused. You can have a lot of little careers under the umbrella of one big career. If you're bored, it's because you're not trying to find ways to stay excited. One NSA story that we tell in my family is what happened when I was doing weapons qualifications testing for travel to a conflict area. On qualification day at the range, I was in the prone position qualifying for M4 and no one had told me not to wear anything with a collar. The guy next to me accidentally landed a spent shell casing in my collar but I was determined to qualify so I didn't flinch. On the walk back, the instructor noticed the burn on my neck. That night when I told my kids that story, they said "you are the coolest mom." And when I told them we did paintball, they asked if they could come to work with me. Would I do anything differently? The easy answer is probably not. I lived overseas, traveled the world, provided for my family. I took advantage of a lot of things - but I wish I had taken more advantage of the educational programs. I was so mission and family focused that I didn’t feel I could, but I think the education programs are amazing.

NSA’s signals intelligence and cybersecurity mission success is strongly rooted in people who excel in science, technology, engineering and math, and want to keep growing and learning. Happy #NationalSTEMSTEAMDay.

Are you at GMiS? Come meet us! We have a recruitment booth (#615) where you can talk to representatives about how our critical mission and our commitment to diversity intertwine: our people are our competitive advantage. In addition to our career booth (#615), we’ll be at the Cybersecurity Workshop, Data Analytics Challenge, Machine Learning Workshop, and Latinas in Computing Workshop. See you soon!

Government and industry vendors are required to include Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) in many devices, but are they truly leveraging them? Discover NSA's recommended use cases for integrating TPMs into mission systems to strengthen enterprise infrastructure. https://lnkd.in/epAjhg7x

Attention cybersecurity professionals and researchers! We invite you to showcase your innovative research at HotSoS'25, an NSA-sponsored symposium dedicated to advancing the science of security and privacy. The Call for Papers is now open, with submissions accepted until December 13. This is your opportunity to contribute to the forefront of cybersecurity discussions. Visit https://lnkd.in/eAdFh3Cm for submission guidelines and details.

NSA offers incredible opportunities for students majoring in engineering, mathematics, computer science, accounting and more. If you’re a student at Carnegie Mellon University, attend this week’s virtual career fair to learn more! #CarnegieMellon

Grateful for all the opportunities NSA gave them, many of employees are paying it forward through succession planning. Join us Wednesday to hear why Zulema C. and others get involved in STEM outreach, teaching and mentorship. Register now: https://bit.ly/3U3sCtW.

Today marks a special milestone in our history. After the Brownell report in 1952, President Truman issued a classified directive that declared that COMINT production was a national responsibility rather than a purely military orientation. The first reference to a “National Security Agency” to replace the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) was found in this memorandum, and we recognize November 4 as the official birthday of NSA, when the Secretary of Defense signed a directive putting President Truman’s memorandum into action. Our first director, Lieutenant General Ralph Canine, former director of the AFSA, was known as the Great Unifier, responsible for the cryptologic unification of the services. He created a central organization to manage the COMINT production cycle. Learn more about LTG Canine’s life and his role in the formation of NSA: https://lnkd.in/e-h3X7Di

NSA is a land of opportunity for anyone who wants to diversify their skill sets and advance their careers. Meet some of our technical leaders who pay that forward at this week’s NSA in Focus webinar. Here’s what it feels like to watch mentees succeed, according to Dr. Mariza. Register to attend: https://bit.ly/3U3sCtW.