U.S. spy agency may get more cybersecurity duties

By Randall Mikkelsen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The spy agency that ran the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program may get more responsibility for securing U.S. computer networks, President Barack Obama's intelligence chief told Congress on Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair said the National Security Agency, which is responsible for codebreaking and electronic spying, should assume a greater role in cybersecurity because of its technological prowess and current role in detecting attacks.

"There are some wizards out there ... who can do stuff. I think that capability should be harnessed and built on," Blair said in testimony to the House of Representatives intelligence committee.

Blair acknowledged that many Americans distrust the agency, which operated former President George W. Bush's secret program of warrantless electronic spying on some Americans' overseas phone calls.

"The NSA is both intelligence and military, two strikes out in terms of the way some Americans think about a body that ought to be protecting their privacy and civil liberties," Blair said.

Government concern over computer network vulnerability has risen as computer hackers become more sophisticated.

"A number of nations, including Russia and China, can disrupt elements of the U.S. information infrastructure," Blair said. "Cyber-defense is not a one-time fix; it requires a continual investment."

Billions of dollars are at stake. Defense contractors Northrop Grumman Corp, Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co are working on classified cybersecurity projects for the U.S. government.