National Security Agency

NSA Plaque

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Hand Carved from Solid Mahogany, Hand Painted & Hand Finished
Over 1" in depth with superbly detailed carving
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The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS)

The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is the United States government's crypto logic intelligence agency, administered under the U. S. Department of Defense. Created on November 4, 1952, it is responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, which involves a significant amount of crypt analysis. It is also responsible for protecting U. S. government communications and information systems from similar agencies elsewhere, which involves a significant amount of cryptography. The NSA is directed by a lieutenant general or vice admiral. The NSA is a key component of the U. S. Intelligence Community, which is headed by the Director of National Intelligence, but is junior to the Central Intelligence Agency. The Central Security Service is an agency created to coordinate intelligence activities and co-operation between the NSA and U. S. military crypt analysis agencies. Contrary to popular impression, the NSA's work is limited to communications intelligence and not field or human intelligence activities. By law, the NSA's intelligence gathering is limited to foreign communications; surveillance within the U. S. is prohibited and limited to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The NSA seal, though similar to the DOD eagle, is not exactly the same. The stars-and-stripes shield on NSA's older seal is more rectangular than the DoD's. Instead of holding three arrows pointing to the observer's left (the eagle's right), NSA's eagle holds several arrows pointing to the observer's right (the eagle's left). The lack of resolution does not allow for absolute certainty, but counting the arrowheads appears to yield thirteen arrows, as per the founding American colonies. The current seal's eagle's talons are evenly spread, whereas the older eagle's talons are clenched tightly together. The five lightning bolts are orange instead of white or gold.

The Official Seal of the NSA for Wall Hanging or Podiums