BLUFFDALE — Elected officials and military leaders broke ground on the construction of a $1.2 billion National Security Agency cyber security center at a Utah National Guard camp near Salt Lake City.
The secretive project will be built on 200 acres at Camp Williams, about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. The Thursday afternoon groundbreaking was probably one of the last times the public will be allowed to access the site.
The center is designed to help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies protect national security networks and identify cyber threats, although the NSA has refused to disclose its full purpose or function.
The Army Corps of Engineers says the project should be completed by October 2013.
NSA deputy director told The Associated Press following the ceremony that the center will become a vital tool in protecting public and private computer networks in the United States. It will also be a key weapon in detecting threats to American security around the world.
“All of the instruments of national power need to be marshaled to protect the cyber realm,” Inglis said.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said during the ceremony that the center will also be a significant economic boon to Utah. During its construction, between 5,000 and 10,000 jobs will be created, and after its completion up to 200 people will work there permanently.
Article source: http://www.standard.net/topics/business/2011/01/06/ground-broken-cyber-center
Category: Government Security Watch