NSA to cut up to 2,000 civilian roles as part of intel community downsizing

The National Security Agency has been directed to cut potentially thousands of civilian employees as part of the Trump administration’s push to reduce the size of the federal government, according to three people familiar with the plan.

The largest electronic spy agency in the world must axe 8 percent of its civilian workforce, which covers everything from administrative staff to defense and offensive cybersecurity operators. While the total number of non-military personnel who work at NSA is classified, between 1,500 and 2,000 positions are expected to be cut, these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, told Recorded Future News.

For now, the agency is expected to make the cuts by the end of year, however that deadline could change, according to one person, as it is tied to the Defense Department’s broader push to reduce its budget by 8 percent in each of the next five years.

Read more at The Record