Top NSA official says telephone surveillance should have been disclosedFORT MEADE, Md. (Reuters) - The U.S. government should have publicized the existence of a program that vacuumed up in bulk Americans’ telephone call data before its existence was leaked by former contractor Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency’s deputy director said on Tuesday. Richard Ledgett, who is retiring next month, said in an interview with Reuters that disclosing the secret program would have been difficult. But, he said, doing so might have mitigated the damage done by Snowden. “That’s one where I might have to say, yes,” Ledgett said in his office at NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. “That’s one where maybe it would have been less shocking when Snowden did what he did.” Ledgett’s comments, which echo the sentiments of some former top U.S. officials, come as the U.S. intelligence community is stepping up efforts to convince Congress to reauthorize other controversial surveillance programs. Those programs allow intelligence agencies to collect vast amounts of digital communications from foreigners living overseas, but incidentally scoops up the communications of an unknown number of Americans. The programs, authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, expire on Dec. 31 unless Congress takes action. Ledgett said that the NSA, whose mission is to intercept adversaries’ communications while protecting sensitive U.S. government networks, had learned from the Snowden experience. “We’re being very open about the (Section 702) program, and will be,” he said. Privacy advocates have repeatedly demanded that the government share an estimate of how many Americans are ensnared by programs authorized under Section 702. Intelligence officials have declined to do so. But Ledgett, in remarks earlier Tuesday at a forum sponsored by the Aspen Institute, said “yes” when asked if an estimate would be provided before year end. Snowden’s revelation of the bulk telephone data program - which captured information about calls such as the numbers and time stamp, but not their actual content - prompted congressional hearings and court battles. In 2015, Congress passed a law replacing it with a more limited system while installing new transparency measures over U.S. surveillance activity.  U.S. officials argued that the program was lawful, and aimed at finding violent militants or other adversaries in communication with allies inside the United States. In the 50-minute interview at the NSA’s large campus outside Washington, Ledgett expressed concern about the vulnerability of U.S. critical infrastructure to cyber attack by another nation. “All of the major cyber threat actors that we worry about have efforts in place, have that capability,” he said. “Can you take out a traffic system? Absolutely. Can you take out comm(unication)s systems? Absolutely. Can you take out gas and oil distribution, and energy distribution systems? Absolutely you can. ... We’re more vulnerable than most.” He also gave a small insight into the secret cyber battles playing out globally, around-the-clock.  In late 2015, he said, an unclassified U.S. government computer network was penetrated by another nation, and the NSA was called in to help. In the past, when an adversary realized they had been discovered, they would withdraw. “Like a turtle, touch them and they pull in their shell,” Ledgett said. “What happened here was, they fought back. So it kind of became a hand-to-hand combat thing,” he said. “We’d remove their malware. They would deploy new malware, even though they knew we were in the system. They were just trying to get around us.” He declined to name the attacker or the computer system involved.    politicsNews
top nsa official says telephone surveillance disclosedfort made md reuters the government publicized existence program vacuum bulk americans telephone call data existence leaked former contractor edward snowden national security agency deputy director said tuesday richard ledger retiring next month said interview reuters disclosing secret program would difficult but said might mitigated damage done snowden that one i might say yes ledger said office nsa headquarters fort made maryland that one maybe would less shocking snowden ledger comments echo sentiments former top officials come intelligence community stepping efforts convince congress authorize controversial surveillance programs those programs allow intelligence agencies collect vast amounts digital communications foreigners living overseas incidentally scoops communications unknown number americans the programs authorized section foreign intelligence surveillance act expire unless congress takes action ledger said nsa whose mission intercept adversaries communications protecting sensitive government networks learned snowden experience we open section program said privacy advocates repeatedly demanded government share estimate many americans ensured programs authorized section intelligence officials declined but ledger remarks earlier tuesday forum sponsored aspen institute said yes asked estimate would provided year end snowden revelation bulk telephone data program captured information calls numbers time stamp actual content prompted congressional hearings court battles in congress passed law replacing limited system installing new transparency measures surveillance activity officials argued program lawful aimed finding violent militants adversaries communication allies inside united states in interview nsa large campus outside washington ledger expressed concern vulnerability critical infrastructure cyber attack another nation all major cyber threat actors worry efforts place capability said can take traffic system absolutely can take comm animation systems absolutely can take gas oil distribution energy distribution systems absolutely we vulnerable he also gave small insight secret cyber battles playing globally in late said unclassified government computer network penetrated another nation nsa called help in past adversary realized discovered would withdraw like turtle touch pull shell ledger said what happened fought back so kind became combat thing said we remove malware they would deploy new malware even though knew system they trying get around he declined name attacker computer system involved politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Top NSA official says telephone surveillance should have been disclosedFORT MEADE, Md. (Reuters) - The U.S. government should have publicized the existence of a program that vacuumed up in bulk Americans’ telephone call data before its existence was leaked by former contractor Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency’s deputy director said on Tuesday. Richard Ledgett, who is retiring next month, said in an interview with Reuters that disclosing the secret program would have been difficult. But, he said, doing so might have mitigated the damage done by Snowden. “That’s one where I might have to say, yes,” Ledgett said in his office at NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. “That’s one where maybe it would have been less shocking when Snowden did what he did.” Ledgett’s comments, which echo the sentiments of some former top U.S. officials, come as the U.S. intelligence community is stepping up efforts to convince Congress to reauthorize other controversial surveillance programs. Those programs allow intelligence agencies to collect vast amounts of digital communications from foreigners living overseas, but incidentally scoops up the communications of an unknown number of Americans. The programs, authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, expire on Dec. 31 unless Congress takes action. Ledgett said that the NSA, whose mission is to intercept adversaries’ communications while protecting sensitive U.S. government networks, had learned from the Snowden experience. “We’re being very open about the (Section 702) program, and will be,” he said. Privacy advocates have repeatedly demanded that the government share an estimate of how many Americans are ensnared by programs authorized under Section 702. Intelligence officials have declined to do so. But Ledgett, in remarks earlier Tuesday at a forum sponsored by the Aspen Institute, said “yes” when asked if an estimate would be provided before year end. Snowden’s revelation of the bulk telephone data program - which captured information about calls such as the numbers and time stamp, but not their actual content - prompted congressional hearings and court battles. In 2015, Congress passed a law replacing it with a more limited system while installing new transparency measures over U.S. surveillance activity.  U.S. officials argued that the program was lawful, and aimed at finding violent militants or other adversaries in communication with allies inside the United States. In the 50-minute interview at the NSA’s large campus outside Washington, Ledgett expressed concern about the vulnerability of U.S. critical infrastructure to cyber attack by another nation. “All of the major cyber threat actors that we worry about have efforts in place, have that capability,” he said. “Can you take out a traffic system? Absolutely. Can you take out comm(unication)s systems? Absolutely. Can you take out gas and oil distribution, and energy distribution systems? Absolutely you can. ... We’re more vulnerable than most.” He also gave a small insight into the secret cyber battles playing out globally, around-the-clock.  In late 2015, he said, an unclassified U.S. government computer network was penetrated by another nation, and the NSA was called in to help. In the past, when an adversary realized they had been discovered, they would withdraw. “Like a turtle, touch them and they pull in their shell,” Ledgett said. “What happened here was, they fought back. So it kind of became a hand-to-hand combat thing,” he said. “We’d remove their malware. They would deploy new malware, even though they knew we were in the system. They were just trying to get around us.” He declined to name the attacker or the computer system involved.    politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: top nsa official says telephone surveillance disclosedfort made md reuters the government publicized existence program vacuum bulk americans telephone call data existence leaked former contractor edward snowden national security agency deputy director said tuesday richard ledger retiring next month said interview reuters disclosing secret program would difficult but said might mitigated damage done snowden that one i might say yes ledger said office nsa headquarters fort made maryland that one maybe would less shocking snowden ledger comments echo sentiments former top officials come intelligence community stepping efforts convince congress authorize controversial surveillance programs those programs allow intelligence agencies collect vast amounts digital communications foreigners living overseas incidentally scoops communications unknown number americans the programs authorized section foreign intelligence surveillance act expire unless congress takes action ledger said nsa whose mission intercept adversaries communications protecting sensitive government networks learned snowden experience we open section program said privacy advocates repeatedly demanded government share estimate many americans ensured programs authorized section intelligence officials declined but ledger remarks earlier tuesday forum sponsored aspen institute said yes asked estimate would provided year end snowden revelation bulk telephone data program captured information calls numbers time stamp actual content prompted congressional hearings court battles in congress passed law replacing limited system installing new transparency measures surveillance activity officials argued program lawful aimed finding violent militants adversaries communication allies inside united states in interview nsa large campus outside washington ledger expressed concern vulnerability critical infrastructure cyber attack another nation all major cyber threat actors worry efforts place capability said can take traffic system absolutely can take comm animation systems absolutely can take gas oil distribution energy distribution systems absolutely we vulnerable he also gave small insight secret cyber battles playing globally in late said unclassified government computer network penetrated another nation nsa called help in past adversary realized discovered would withdraw like turtle touch pull shell ledger said what happened fought back so kind became combat thing said we remove malware they would deploy new malware even though knew system they trying get around he declined name attacker computer system involved politicsnews