Greg Smithberger, chief information officer at the National Security Agency (NSA), shared at an Intelligence and National Security Alliance-hosted virtual panel discussion how the NSA works to ensure continuity of work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, C4ISRNET reported Thursday.
“[T]here’s a pretty interesting cross-agency team right now is looking really hard at all the mission areas that could be doing more on the low side, and our ability to really open up telework,” Smithberger said.
Smithberger, who also leads NSA’s capabilities directorate, said the agency is working on an environment that would enable collaboration with those without security clearances but can provide support to the NSA’s cybersecurity initiatives, capabilities mission or research work.
“It’s kind of become more of a standard for us … to see how much we can actually do in a less protected environment,” Smithberger said. He added that he wants the NSA “to work with some corporate partners who in some cases simply don’t have access to a [sensitive compartmented information facility], but are fully clearing people.”
