NSA on hot seat over email spying

It's one thing to have a subpoena that allows a government agency to spy on a potential criminal. It's quite another for the National Security Agency to jump right in without any authority and monitor domestic email.

The super sleuthing agency, that is not supposed to be operating in the United States, is coming under intense pressure for reportedly intercepting private phone calls and reading email messages.

Wow! Haven't we put this scurrilous behavior to rest? Isn't it already clear what the NSA can and cannot do in the United States?

NSA's activities were disclosed in April, and since then, several congressional committees are investigating what's been going on. There have already been disclosures from a former NSA analyst who revealed that he had been trained in 2005 for a program where the agency routinely examined large volumes of email messages. Not a pleasant job for anyone.

All of these disclosures are raising new concerns among some members of Congress about NSA's activities. Most IT executives are nowhere near the secret caves of the NSA. But these latest disclosures certainly should make you think about what your agency is doing and how it is complying with the letter of the law at all times.

If you run into any problems or question what is going on, check in quickly with your legal counsel. It's definitely worth avoiding a congressional investigation, or worse. And more importantly, it's essential to comply with the law.

For more on the NSA's reading habits:
- check out this New York Times article