Protecting The Nation In Cyberspace: A National Security Agency Analyst At West Point

Kyle King just completed an assignment at the United States Military Academy as a visiting professor and a liaison from the National Security Agency. He entered the NSA through the Scholarship for Service program and remained at the agency beyond his initial commitment, deriving great pride from his service to the nation. At the end of his tour at West Point he returned to the National Security Agency. In this interview, he talks about the role of the NSA and how it interacts with and supports the broader US intelligence community, the U.S. military, and allied agencies. He addresses concerns about spying, information sharing, and potential threats. He discusses information warfare and potential threats, including which threats have the ability and the determination to launch successful cyber-attacks, noting that “the people who want to do this can’t, and the people who can don’t really want to.” He reflects on the culture of the NSA and why the betrayal from an insider like Edward Snowden felt so personal to those in the agency. Finally, he describes his efforts to improve teamwork between the NSA and other agencies.