New NSA Boss Says The Sky Is Not Falling Because Of Snowden Revelations

from the because-it's-not dept

While former NSA boss General Keith Alexander continues to run around insisting that the damage from the Snowden revelations has been catastrophic and has put us all in great danger, his successor in office, Admiral Mike Rogers (again, no relation to chief NSA defender and head of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Mike Rogers), has actually been a hell of a lot more reserved in his own claims. In his latest interview, with the NY Times, he specifically notes that the sky is not falling from the Snowden revelations.
He repeated past warnings that the agency had overheard terrorist groups “specifically referencing data detailed” by Mr. Snowden’s revelations. “I have seen groups not only talk about making changes, I have seen them make changes,” he said.

But he then added: “You have not heard me as the director say, ‘Oh, my God, the sky is falling.’ I am trying to be very specific and very measured in my characterizations.”
Rogers also didn't spew the usual FUD about how we'd all be at risk if the bulk phone record collection was shut down, though, of course he said he still wanted access to the data in a reasonable amount of time, if necessary.
Admiral Rogers indicated that system, so long resisted by the security agency, was workable. “I am not going to jump up and down and say, ‘I have to have access to that data in minutes and hours,’ ” he said. “The flip side is that I don’t want to take weeks and months to get to the data.”
While it's doubtful that there will be any significant change in the NSA under Rogers, at the very least it's nice to see it have a leader who doesn't immediately jump to the usual FUD about how it absolutely needs every possible ability to spy on everyone or we'll all be put at risk.
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Filed Under: admiral mike rogers, ed snowden, impact, nsa, surveillance


Reader Comments

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  1. identicon
    Michael, 30 Jun 2014 @ 10:10am

    “I have seen groups not only talk about making changes, I have seen them make changes,”

    Just the other day they were on the phone with someone willing to help them secure their systems for $1m per month...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 10:52am

    Obama was a somewhat decent guy when he first got in office as well.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:08am

    It seems a new story is brewing. In Denmark a number of documents from 1998-2000 has been revealed due to the equivalent to FOIA.

    In the non-confidential documents from the department of commerce it is revealed that Denmark was threatened with getting kicked out of "the good club" (probably 9 eyes, though it is not clear) unless the market for cryptography was further regulated to curtail encryption. It is directly stated that security is the reason for the request. Denmark accepted to regulate in the end.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Ninja (profile), 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:13am

    Re:

    I didn't know that hiring hookers was called "help securing your system" nowadays.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Ninja (profile), 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:15am

    Re:

    Wasn't that CA issuer Diginotar from Denmark? You know, the one that got hacked and put the CA system in check.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    David, 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:35am

    Re: Re:

    Maybe for sex offenders.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:50am

    I hope when the new NSA Boss retires, he doesn't start selling classified information for millions of dollars like the old NSA Boss.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:51am

    Re:

    His own words before he was president prove otherwise.

    You like the vast majority of other Americans only allow news sources instead of logic and common sense to frame your political views.

    Anyone that thought Obama was okay most like has this problem right here.
    Problem: Listening to RICH PEOPLE creating class warfare and praising them for it! For you guys... its what they say and not what they do that frames them for you.

    A wise man instead looks at was a person has done not what they say to determine what they are!

    The Clintons, Obamas, and others like them all play the Rich Mans game while you eat the shit from their pants cause they 'tell you'!

    While I hate the Repukes for their Corporate Whore mentality at least they are not trying to fool anyone with it! or worse... actually getting the fuck by with it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 12:07pm

    Re:

    Everyone whore has to retire somewhere.

    Its just that when you are a political whore you get positive attention and protection from the law because of your past affiliations.

    Kinda like how upscale escort services receive very little real negative or legal attention while low class street walkers getting fuzzed left and right.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 12:23pm

    Re: Re:

    Diginotar is Dutch ie. from the Netherlands. But it could just as well have been danish.

    The reason I bring up the spectific topic is the focus from sir Rodgers on how long it takes to get the information. He basically repeats the exact arguments from the discussions after the 1998s Wassenaar treaty where cryptographic exports got limited to 56 bits by NSA.

    It is a shame to see the same anti-rights arguments repeated.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 30 Jun 2014 @ 12:41pm

    I bet he has

    I have seen groups not only talk about making changes, I have seen them make changes, he said.

    The general public has been much more interested in security and making sure their communications are private after the Snowden leaks, so I've no doubt he has seen 'target organizations' make changes to their communications and the tech they use.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 12:52pm

    Re: Re:

    What on earth are you waffling on about?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 12:59pm

    Re: Re:

    I am not Anmerican you pompous, presumpuous pratt.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Michael, 30 Jun 2014 @ 1:08pm

    Re: I bet he has

    You are right.

    Let's tally up the list here:

    1) US citizens are changing their behavior (securing their communications)
    2) Companies outside the US are changing their behavior (not working with US companies)
    3) Non-US citizens are changing their behavior (using services from countries other than the US)
    4) Terrorist organizations are changing their behavior
    5) The NSA? Oh, well, they are just going to continue on with what they were doing. Genius plan.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 2:11pm

    Re: Re:

    Now talk about the lizardmen controlling both the repudaleks and Obummer/Inton CL, why don't you?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    zerowolfe (profile), 30 Jun 2014 @ 6:06pm

    The national security agency now has turned over
    Surveillance it had on iran, north korea, china, and russia thanks to putin's spy...the epeletic fool eddie snowdon...a brain twisted moron!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2014 @ 11:50pm

    Re:

    Ironically even those kinds of interpretation leaves a lot of blame on NSA for not filtering/being selective pre-collection. Not gonna bother refuting your views.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    Whatever (profile), 1 Jul 2014 @ 3:22am

    reading too much into a comment?

    I think "I am not saying the sky is falling" is a careful way of saying "we don't want to admit the damage done". If the "enemy" has changed their way of operating as a result, then clearly there is some damage done.

    Give him credit for not being an alarmist - or perhaps just being better at covering up the damage.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    TestPilotDummy, 1 Jul 2014 @ 7:08am

    The ONLY reason YOUR SKY isn't falling bitchez...

    is cause I ain't your fscking drill seargent!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Candid Cameron, 1 Jul 2014 @ 3:52pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    "I am not Anmerican you pompous, presumpuous pratt."

    He didn't say you were an American, only that you were (probably) LIKE other Americans. Even though a couple of commas were missing, it still made perfect sense. Don't quote me on that, though, because I've never been all that great with commas either lol.

    He is absolutely correct, by the way, regarding how a lot of people tend to form their opinions nowadays. As the saying goes, talk is cheap. Instead of listening to the so called news and empty promises made by politicians, we should instead be looking at all of their deeds to date. Actions will always speak louder than words and is a much more solid foundation to base a meaningful opinion on.

    Like George Carlin noted, news outlets and the media in general tend to act more like an unpaid publicist these days, working on behalf of the government and military. Not surprising when you follow the money and look at who owns what.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jul 2014 @ 4:49am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "You like the vast majority of other American..."

    There is only one way that can be read.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Jul 2014 @ 10:01pm

    Re: reading too much into a comment?

    Only you would give the NSA credit for anything.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Candid Cameron, 5 Jul 2014 @ 2:44pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    LOL. Here it is with the (very obvious) grammar problem fixed:

    "You, like the vast majority of other Americans, only allow news sources instead of logic and common sense to frame your political views."

    There is only one way that can be read properly. :-)

    link to this | view in thread ]


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