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Minor nitpick but the NSA does not employ agents, but rather analysts and (sometimes) operators. "Agents" in the IC sense are people that do your bidding, i.e.
by ianhawes 3y ago
Minor nitpick but the NSA does not employ agents, but rather analysts and (sometimes) operators. "Agents" in the IC sense are people that do your bidding, i.e. recruiting someone to insert a USB drive into a target device.
- Bajeezus 3y agoYou're still incorrect. Those are "assets", the term "agent" isn't formally used anywhere in the IC
- retrac 3y agoThe whole "CIA agent" probably comes from "special agent" which is the title for US police investigators, who sometimes do work undercover, mostly on domestic policing matters. The CIA does have special agents, but it's mostly a desk job, and they are definitely not the clandestine operatives of the pop culture idea. (Most US federal agencies have special agents - even NASA has a little Office of the Inspector General.)
- jstarfish 3y agoThe FBI (and even the IRS) uses "agents" so I assume people extrapolated use of the term to all three-letter agencies.
- Arrath 3y agoRandom aside, but ATF field personnel used to be 'Inspectors' and we had a pretty good working relationship during annual inspections and so on. Sometime in the Post-9/11 era they transitioned to 'Investigators' and the majority of them got a big stick up their rear ends and it has become a trying, adversarial relationship every time they come out.
- throwaway29812 3y agoA case officer still runs agents.
- jakderrida 3y agoI thought an NSA agent was anyone that provides the information or resources whilst the analyst (operator) was the one directly employed by the NSA. In other words, an "agent" of the NSA would imply they are not "federal agents", in the way we use that word. But, instead, are those employed like a third-party for information/resources such that all you are providing is access.