Former NSA deputy director: Snowden leaks caused ‘significant disservice’ to the Internet

Summary: Edward Snowden caused more damage to the Internet than the U.S. intelligence community did, according to a former deputy director of the NSA. But of course, he would say that. So, now what?

NEW YORK Edward Snowden sure has caused a lot of headaches in the IT security community.

His reported leaks have led the industry going into overdrive mode over the past ten months in order to counter some of the previously unthinkable tactics used by the U.S. National Security Agency and the wider intelligence community.

In spite of blowing the whistle on some of the encryption-cracking efforts, the fiber-cable tapping, and the zero-day flaw exploitation, Snowden was the one who caused damage to the Internet, according toone former senior NSA official.

Former NSA deputy director of training Col. Cedric Leighton said in remarksat the Bloomberg Enterprise Technology Summit in New York City on Thursday that Snowden's leaks had performed a "significant disservice" to the worldwide health of the Internet.

He was talking about the recent moves by Brazil and other countries to reconsider the decentralized nature of the foundation of the Internet.

Quick to respond,Trend Micro chief technology officerRaimund Genes said Europe's efforts to strengthen policy within its 28 member state border was "going over the top."

He added that policy was not always the answer, and that the security industry should also find solutions to benefit customers the most.

The panel pitted the U.S. intelligence agency's actions against the rest of the world the Snowden leaks have touched almost every nation and led with the discussion on nation states' efforts to create their own versions of the Internet, including keeping citizen data within their own respective borders.

"The Internet was created to be global, and it should stay global," Genes added.

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Former NSA deputy director: Snowden leaks caused 'significant disservice' to the Internet