The Information Technology Behind Counterterrorism The information technology behind counterterrorism saves American lives. In the weeks following 9/11, President Bush authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct a variety of surveillance activities within the United States, which had been prohibited by law and agency policy for decades prior. When the NSA spy program was first disclosed to the public by the New York Times in 2005, President Bush admitted to a small aspect of the program – what the administration called the terrorist surveillance program – in which the NSA monitored , without a warrant, the communications of between 500 and 1,000 people in the United States with suspected links to Al Qaeda. The current head of the NSA, General Keith Alexander, justifies the collection of phone records, Internet searches and emails of Americans nationwide. Alexander encourages the program, saying it "is needed for domestic counterterrorism and was useful in investigating the Boston Marathon bombings and plots against U.S. diplomatic facilities over the summer." ("NSA Chief Defends US Espionage") The technology behind the NSA's ability to spy on unassuming Americans, the use of collected data, and the contribution of the PATRIOT Act, are all factors that contribute to the NSA's effectiveness in prevent terrorist attacks. According to leading authority on data mining Dr. Gregory Piatetsky-Shapiro "If the NSA just has the metadata - who calls who - that's enough to determine people's status", "You don't necessarily need the conversation if you have the network" (Piatetsky-Shapiro) In the last 20 years information technology has advanced more than ever in our history. This rapid increase has brought a… middle of paper… questions will be asked as they should regarding the laws of the land. The technologies behind the many agencies like the NSA and FBI that protect our borders, both physical and virtual, become more important every year. As our country continues to promote democracy and support uprisings in countries around the world, Works Cited Gilbert, F. (2013). DEMISTIFYING THE UNITED STATES PATRIOT ACT. Journal of Internet Law, 16(8), 3-7. The New York Times reports that the NSA uses the data it collects to map a person's social connections. (n.d.). Canadian Press, The,International Business, T. (2013, June 12). NSA and Big Data: how technological innovation fuels the PRISM. International Business Times.Investor's Business, D. (2013, September 26). NSA chief defends US espionage. Investors make deals every day. P. A02.Stewart, B. (n.d.). Don't play with American security. United States today.