Tulane Engineering Forum

James J. Hearn

Dr. Hearn attended Villanova University on an NROTC scholarship and received his BSEE along with his commission in the U.S. Navy. His 5 years of naval service included shipboard assignments and a tour with the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission.

He joined the National Security Agency (NSA) in late 1964, and during an over 34 year career there, had assignments as an engineer and technical manager in both the Signals Intelligence and Information Systems Security mission areas of that agency. During this time, he also earned his Ph.D. in electronic engineering from the Catholic University of America. His career included assignments in Germany and in Britain, as well as with the Intelligence Community Staff. From 1988-94, he was Deputy Director, NSA, for Information Systems Security.

Since retirement from NSA in early 1998, he has taught a graduate course in information systems and is a consultant in information systems security. He was a member of the Joint Security Commission in 1999, which was tasked by the Director of Central Intelligence and the Deputy Secretary of Defense to examine information systems security issues in the national security community. He has a keen interest in the success of the National Cryptologic Museum, located at Ft. George F. Meade, MD and serves on the acquisition committee of the museum foundation. With his wife, Pam, he spends much time involved in the lives of their many grandchildren.

Presentation Topic: Protecting and Providing Information: A High Entropy Issue Involving Business, Law Enforcement, the Pentagon, and Citizens' Privacy

By James J. Hearn

Summary

For more than 100 years, the federal government has struggled with issues of information access and the need to protect information. The tempo of the struggle has increased dramatically over the past 20 years with the rapid expansion of computer networks and their pervasiveness in most sectors of the human experience.

This talk will summarize the current issues, describe the principal actors, and offer a somewhat pessimistic view of the likelihood of any near term solution.