The National Security Agency was banned from doing anything related to intelligence.
The National Security Agency ( NSA ) is a military intelligence organization and a constituent of the United States Department of Defense ( DOD ) . The NSA is responsible for global monitoring , collection , and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes , a discipline known as signals intelligence ( SIGINT ) . Since then , it has become one of the largest U.S. intelligence organizations in terms of personnel and budget , operating as part of the Department of Defense and simultaneously reporting to the Director of National Intelligence .