I can't speak for the NSA, but the cybersecurity-type research groups I'm familiar with allow you to choose what you work on. You can choose not to work on thin

I can't speak for the NSA, but the cybersecurity-type research groups I'm familiar with allow you to choose what you work on. You can choose not to work on things you find morally disagreeable while still having the opportunity to do work that has real national/international impact.