Former National Security Agency

Q1 (3)There have been several individuals who have leaked highly classified (top-secret) material to the public in recent times, including Edward Snowden (former National Security Agency government contractor) and Bradley Manning (former U.S. Army service member). Each have been accused of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. Do you believe that the federal government needs to amend the act to further outline the legality of leaking electronic documentation to the public (United States and abroad)? Why, or why not? What additional safeguards should the federal government put into place to prevent classified materials from falling in the hands of the media or our foreign adversaries?

100 WORDS EACH ANSWER

Q2 (4)The emergence of technology, software, and hardware has made it very difficult for local, state, and federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate acts of terrorism. As an example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempted to gain access to Syed Rizwan Farook’s cell phone shortly after the San Bernardino terrorist attack that killed 14 individuals and wounded 22 others on December 2, 2015. The FBI was initially unable to access the data on the cell phone because of Apple’s lock code and iOS on the iPhone. The FBI demanded that Apple assist in the investigation and provide access to the cell phone. In short, this led to a public debate between Apple and the FBI regarding privacy and intelligence-gathering. Do you believe it is important for manufacturers such as Apple, Google, Amazon, and others to provide a “back door” in order to assist local, state, and federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the investigation of domestic and global terrorist attacks? Why, or why not?