By Cole del Charco | Published 10 hours ago

The man charged with cleaning up the National Security Agency after reports surfaced that the organization was monitoring millions of Americans and their communications had one message about personal cybersecurity at the Carolina Inn on Monday.

He warned the audience to use caution when sharing information online.

We need to know that someone out there has an interest in you, he said. You need to sit down and think about what we are comfortable with.

Admiral Michael S. Rogers, director of the NSA and commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, visited Chapel Hill as part of a speaker series co-sponsored by UNCs Department of Peace, War and Defense and the Triangle Institute for Security Studies.

He added that he wants the NSA to prioritize conversations with citizens as the agency looks to combat national cybersecurity problems.

A world of great security but limited freedom, I have zero interest in the U.S. being a part of. But a world of limited security but great freedom, with my two sons, I have no desire in the U.S. being a part of. We need a balance between freedom and security, he said.

He said the NSA treats cyberwarfare like nuclear warfare.

Rogers then defined the job of the NSA, saying it collects foreign intelligence and defends U.S. information.

We are a foreign intelligence agency, he said. We do not collect information from U.S. citizens. I must get that authority from a judge. We do not violate the law.

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NSA director Admiral Michael Rogers pushes for transparency