The NSA will eliminate 90 percent of the system administrators who maintain the agency’s networks, according to the agency’s director Keith Alexander. Speaking on Thursday to a cybersecurity conference, the NSA chief said that most of the current work done by staff and contractor system administrators — Snowden’s old job — could be replicated by automated technology.
“We’ve put people in the loop of transferring data, securing networks and doing things that machines are probably better at doing,” Alexander said according to Reuters, adding, “What we’re in the process of doing — not fast enough — is reducing our system administrators by about 90 percent.” The change, he argues, will make their networks more secure, more defensible, and faster. According to Alexander, the agency started down that path before Snowden’s leaks, but have made it a higher priority in recent months. The director never mentioned Snowden’s name, but the whistleblower was clearly part of the subject at hand. According to the Huffington Post, who attended the conference of about 300 (including the heads of the FBI and CIA), Alexander added:
“We trust people with data. At the end of the day it’s all about trust. And people who have access to data as part of their missions, if they misuse that trust they can cause huge damage.”
System administrations are already under tighter scrutiny at the agency, with new restrictions in place on the use of thumb drives (which is presumably how Snowden snagged the documents he leaked), and a mandatory “buddy system” when one administrator needs to access sensitive data.
So, what’s the new, automated Snowden replacement? Alexander was short on details, but mentioned that the new technology designed to replace system administrators would resemble a “thin virtual cloud structure.”
As published on http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/nsa-will-replace-most-their-potential-snowdens-machines/68153/
19.075984
72.877656
About Shailendra Nair
AI Generalist & Executive Tech Leader in Insurance & Benefits Tech. Driving growth, trust, and resilience from AIG to Marsh McLennan.
I am an AI Generalist and Executive Technology Leader with a career dedicated to reimagining how insurance and benefits ecosystems work in a digital first world. My expertise spans Insurance & Benefits Tech, digital transformation, and cybersecurity, with a proven ability to turn technology into both a growth engine and a resilience enabler.
I have worked with global leaders such as PepsiCo, Allianz, AIG, and Marsh McLennan, experiences that gave me a rare mix of perspectives across insurance carriers, broking, and benefits advisory. This combination allows me to design solutions that balance global standards, local compliance, and client expectations while driving measurable business value.
My strength lies in full stack insurance technology leadership, covering Property & Casualty, Life, and Benefits. I bring hands-on expertise in infrastructure, cloud, security, and enterprise architecture, combined with data platforms, AI automation, and digital ecosystems. Having led across this spectrum, I can translate complex technology into practical outcomes that deliver trust, scale, and innovation.
As an AI Generalist, I focus on impact:
• Building automation first operations that scale efficiently.
• Designing chatbots and intelligent assistants to empower employees and clients.
• Deploying AI-driven QA frameworks to improve speed and accuracy.
• Exploring agentic AI roles to support compliance and transformation.
My philosophy is simple: technology should reduce friction, inspire confidence, and accelerate growth. I design platforms that enhance sales, revenue, and client stickiness, proving that tech can directly enable business outcomes. At the same time, I remain deeply client centric a solution enabler who thinks out of the box to solve real challenges and deliver measurable ROI.
🌍 What excites me most is reimagining benefits ecosystems for the future of work. Employees demand seamless digital first experiences, organizations need efficiency, and regulators require trust and security. My mission is to build ecosystems that are secure, resilient, innovative, and human focused.
The opinion expressed here or re- blogged are my personal opinion and views and has no relation to any organization , group or people.
::: Shailendra Nair ::: 