Opinion

Snowden disclosures hurt intelligence agencies' recruitment

Photos of Edward Snowden, a contractor at the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), and U.S. President Barack Obama are printed on the front pages of local English and Chinese newspapers in Hong Kong in this file illustration photo taken on June 11, 2013. To match Special Report UKRAINE-PUTIN/DIPLOMACY REUTERS/Bobby Yip/Files (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA) less Photos of Edward Snowden, a contractor at the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), and U.S. President Barack Obama are printed on the front pages of local English and Chinese newspapers in Hong Kong in this ... more Photo: Bobby Yip, Reuters Photo: Bobby Yip, Reuters Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Snowden disclosures hurt intelligence agencies' recruitment 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Edward Snowden disclosures of National Security Agency surveillance certainly have awakened concerns in a portion of our country that feels strongly about the protection of civil liberties. Snowden's disclosures seem to have created a perception that the values of the intelligence community are not American values, that its activity is inconsistent with our ideals.

The disclosures have also created a breach between U.S. technology firms (many of which reside here in Silicon Valley) and the U.S. intelligence community, which have enjoyed a close partnership since 9/11. While the intelligence community has not broken the law, there is a segment of the country that is offended by the revelations of the "dirty tricks" required to gather information and intelligence.

These changes in attitudes, reverberating on college campuses including here at Stanford, might have a longer term and more far-reaching impact on national security.

As a current career intelligence officer and a former intelligence analyst, we are both recent transplants to Stanford. We have near-daily interactions with some of the most amazing undergraduates the university has to offer and frequently talk with students about prospective careers in intelligence. But something has changed in the last six months.

Some students are more wary about a potential career in intelligence, and express hesitation about being required to violate their concepts of individual privacy. Others have simply stopped calling or stopping by. And even those most committed toward national service as an intelligence officer have shared a little uneasiness with the way the intelligence community is being portrayed in the media.

We certainly don't mean to question the patriotism of the average Stanford undergraduate; perhaps we are getting a glimpse of a subtle attitude change among university students or of societal beliefs. This might contribute to a more general unease at the prospect of government service, an understandable feeling given ongoing budget battles and the state-of-play of our politics in Washington, and a shift toward other forms of public service. Regardless, this does not bode well for the long-term health of the intelligence community, because its ability to attract the best and the brightest is key to its success.

The two of us do disagree about the appropriateness of some of the surveillance activities disclosed in recent months. This divergence of opinion is important to note, because it reflects that the intelligence community weighs issues of privacy and rights, and that discussion drives operations. However, we both agree about the importance and honor of serving in intelligence. Work within the community provides the opportunity, on a daily basis, to contribute to the safety and security of your fellow Americans. You do so while always cognizant of the values you are seeking to uphold and protect. That can create a challenging balancing act, which is why it is all the more important to bring in talented people willing to confront that challenge head on.

Organizations such as the National Security Agency will not have trouble getting enough applicants, but filling those positions with talent from universities like Stanford will be critical. That is what will allow the intelligence community to stay nimble in the face of evolving threats and even more rapidly evolving technology. It will allow the United States to remain on offense against al Qaeda, to develop cybersecurity tools to safeguard American computer networks, and to respond to sudden crises around the world, such as the one unfolding in Ukraine. And with the challenges caused by recent disclosures and the need, in accordance with the president's recent speech and directive, to build new privacy safeguards into our intelligence collection, good talent will be more necessary than ever before.

It could be that we are one good Bond movie or HBO series away from restoring the luster of intelligence work. The unease could dissipate over time as the government takes corrective measures to help restore the public's faith in intelligence workers as responsible guardians. But we think the best prescription is continued outreach from the leadership of the intelligence community and continued dialogue between those who would protect the nation's security and those young engineers and entrepreneurs, students among them, in the Bay Area who would build the nation's most innovative technology.

College students are particularly attuned to social trends. We need to make the case for the intelligence community's role in our society, and we will know we are winning when there is a long line of students outside our doors once again.