National Institute of Standards and Technology director defends collaboration with NSA

The head of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a standards organizing body within the Commerce Department, defended his agency's collaboration with the National Security Agency.

"There is not a problem with NIST collaborating with NSA," Patrick Gallagher, the director of NIST, said. NIST has come under fire after documents leaked by Edward Snowden indicated that the NSA successfully got the NIST to adopt its version of a computer security standard in 2006. That standard included vulnerabilities that NSA hackers could later exploit to spy on private communications. Gallagher said the NIST would continue to work with the NSA because it has a "deep reservoir of knowhow in cybersecurity activities." He noted that the NSA also plays a parallel role to the NIST in protecting federal computer systems. But he emphasized the importance of earning the trust of the private sector. "NIST is fully committed to the highest levels of scientific and technical quality and integrity," he said. "This is in our bone marrow at NIST." He noted that the NIST has reopened the 2006 technical standard for public comment and said the agency is "redoubling" its efforts to be as transparent as possible.