National Security Agency: Difference between revisions

The origins of the National Security Agency can be traced back to April 28, 1917, three weeks after the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] declared war on Germany in [[World War I]]. A [[Code (cryptography)|code]] and [[cipher]] decryption unit was established as the Cable and Telegraph Section, which was also known as the Cipher Bureau.<ref>{{cite web |date=2021-08-20 |title=The Black Chamber |url=https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Events/Article-View/Article/2740622/the-black-chamber/ |access-date=23 February 2018 |website=nsa.gov |archive-date=2021-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104224840/https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Events/Article-View/Article/2740622/the-black-chamber/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was headquartered in Washington, D.C., and was part of the war effort under the executive branch without direct congressional authorization. During the war, it was relocated in the army's organizational chart several times. On July 5, 1917, [[Herbert O. Yardley]] was assigned to head the unit. At that point, the unit consisted of Yardley and two [[civilian]] clerks. It absorbed the Navy's [[cryptanalysis]] functions in July 1918. World War I ended on [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|November 11, 1918]], and the army cryptographic section of Military Intelligence (MI-8) moved to New York City on May 20, 1919, where it continued intelligence activities as the Code Compilation Company under the direction of Yardley.<ref>{{cite web |title=Records of the National Security Agency/Central Security Service [NSA/CSS] |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/457.html |access-date=November 22, 2013 |website=National Archives |archive-date=October 14, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014140149/http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/457.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/declassified-documents/cryptologic-spectrum/assets/files/many_lives.pdf|title=The Many Lives of Herbert O. Yardley|access-date=May 26, 2016|archive-date=July 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701195112/https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/declassified-documents/cryptologic-spectrum/assets/files/many_lives.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>