NSA risks talent exodus amid rift with Oval Office

Washington, March 1: The National Security Agency risks a brain-drain of hackers and cyber spies due to a tumultuous reorganisation and worries about the acrimonious relationship between the intelligence community and President Donald Trump, according to current and former NSA officials and cybersecurity industry sources.

Half-a-dozen cybersecurity executives told Reuters they witnessed a marked increase in the number of US intelligence officers and government contractors seeking employment in the private sector since Mr Trump took office on January 20.

One of the executives, who would speak only on condition of anonymity, said he was stunned by the caliber of the would-be recruits. They are coming from a variety of government intelligence and law enforcement agencies, multiple executives said, and their interest stems in part from concerns about the direction of US intelligence agencies under Mr Trump.

Retaining and recruiting talented technical personnel has become a top national security priority in recent years as Russia, China, Iran and other nation states and criminal groups have sharpened their cyber offensive abilities. NSA and other spy agencies have long struggled to deter some of their best employees from leaving for higher-paying jobs.

Besides, a former top NSA official said he had been told by three current officials that budget problems meant there was too little money for promotions. That is especially important for younger employees, who sometimes need two jobs to make ends meet in the expensive Washington DC area, he said. “Morale is as low as I’ve ever seen it,” said another ex-senior NSA official.