NSA Cybersecurity prevents and eradicates threats to U.S. national security systems, with an initial focus on the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and the improvement of the nation's weapons' security.

An NSA Police Career involves the protection of NSA buildings, as well as agency personnel, resources and equipment. NSA Police officers wear uniforms and are licensed to carry firearms.

The NSA, alongside the CIA, maintains a physical presence in many countries across the globe; the CIA/NSA joint Special Collection Service (a highly classified intelligence team) inserts eavesdropping devices in high-value targets (such as presidential palaces or embassies).

While both the CIA and NSA focus on gathering and analyzing intelligence, one of the primary differences between them is that the CIA is often focused on human intelligence gathering. While at the same time, the NSA specializes in signals intelligence.