The NSA Has a Long-Lost Lecture by Adm. Grace Hopper - Schneier on Security
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The NSA has a video recording of a 1982 lecture by Adm. Grace Hopper titled “Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software, and People.” The agency is (so far) refusing to release it.

Basically, the recording is in an obscure video format. People at the NSA can’t easily watch it, so they can’t redact it. So they won’t do anything.

  • IphtashuFitz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    29·
    4 months ago

    Redaction means it’s still classified for some reason. Makes me wonder what they think might still be sensitive on a 40+ year old lecture like this, when DOJ guidelines call for automatic declassification of “records having permanent historical value” after only 25 years unless they fall into a handful of very specific categories, like divulging the identity of an active agent.

    • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      4 months ago

      The simple/charitable explanation might be that they don’t necessarily expect there to be anything that still needs to be redacted, but they won’t release it until they’re sure.

  • BennyIncEnglish
    271·
    4 months ago

    Basically, the recording is in an obscure video format. People at the NSA can’t easily watch it, so they can’t redact it.

    Have they never heard about VLC?

      • BennyIncEnglish
        18·
        4 months ago

        If you somehow transfer the raw bits it probably can 😄

          • jqubed@lemmy.worldEnglish
            7·
            4 months ago

            I’m sure the NSA doesn’t want to transfer a recording that might contain elements they still want to redact to any old outside firm, especially not one outside the U.S. as is your example. In the end I suspect this probably isn’t the only 1-inch open reel tape they would want to transfer to newer media. They would probably want to either bring a unit in-house or go to a facility where they can thoroughly vet the equipment and staff and basically take control for the duration of the project.