Information Assurance at NSA, Yesterday and Today

Abstract

This talk will briefly discuss the history of Information Assurance at the National Security Agency, the current missions, and where we see Information Assurance going in the future. We will discuss the threat/adversary model and the IA response to the model, past and present. The current four-tiered assurance model (the NSA model, which generalizes fairly easily) will be introduced, and we'll see how it has evolved over time. And we'll discuss the current effort to partner with industry and academia to address key issues, such as software assurance, which our community must deal with.

Bio

Mr. George began at the National Security Agency in August 1970 after graduating from Dartmouth College. He started in the Crypto-Math Intern Program, having tours in Research, the SIGINT Directorate, and the Information Assurance Directorate's (IAD) predecessor organization. Except for a tour in the Signals Intelligence Directorate and one at the Center for Communications Research in Princeton, he has worked in the IAD since 1973. He has served as technical director for organizations at various levels in the directorate, and currently serves as the Technical Director for the Information Assurance Directorate.

As a technical leader, Mr. George works closely with teams and individuals giving advice and direction on specific, as well as general, technical questions; mentors; and serves on various technical boards. He advises the Director of Information Assurance and the Director of NSA on technical issues, and develops strategic direction for the Information Assurance Directorate. He has participated actively in the equity resolution process and served as a liaison to the SID and R math communities.