The National Security Agency has announced it will undergo a restructuring in a move to bolster the agency’s technological innovation, workforce and core missions of foreign signals intelligence and information assurance.
The NSA in the 21st Century initiative is a two-year process to reshape the agency and address challenges triggered by asymmetric national security threats, global communications network evolution, an increase in demand for agency services and its changing cyber mission, NSA said Monday.
NSA Director Adm. Michael Rogers said the NSA21 initiative “will enable us to consolidate capabilities and talents to ensure that we’re using all of our resources to maximum effect to accomplish our mission.”
The agency plans to form six new directorates focused on workforce and support activities, business management and acquisition, engagement and policy, operations, capabilities and research areas.
Dustin Volz of Reuters reported NSA will also integrate its foreign intelligence gathering and cyber defense functions into a single organization as part of the restructuring effort.
The initiative came after a White House-formed review board has identified a potential “conflict of interest” between the offensive and defensive missions at NSA, Volz reports.
Following its review, the board also recommended that the agency collaborate with the technology industry to better secure enterprise computer systems, the report said.
