The classic image of a secret agent involves microfilm, pay phones and documents covered in thick black felt pen marks. Until now, the reality of the national security world is not much different than this fictional image. Even today, many FBI agents cannot type.

So, in the internet age, how does the security community use new technologies in order to better protect us while maintaining personal privacy? Tara Lemmey, a member of the Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age, discusses the vision being created by the task force. The Markle task force brings together leaders from the intelligence and technology communities to discuss security issues and prepare briefings for security agencies.

The task force imagines a scenario where information is passed quickly to those who need it, while ensuring that proper permissions are respected. Various technologies can be used in concert to gather, coordinate and disseminate information from many sources, creating a more unified security environment. Using new technologies and ideas, this imagined security future is becoming a reality.

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Tara Lemmey is founder and CEO of LENS Ventures, a network of leading thinkers focused on innovation in technology, science, law, and economics. She works with companies such as Nokia and Intel on next-generation strategies and products. She also serves as chairman of Project LENS, a worldwide nongovernmental organization that works to create an environment of cooperation between the government, the public, and the private sector. Lemmey was previously president of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, where she worked on global initiatives in the arenas of intellectual property, encryption, and privacy. She has been the founder of three technology companies and has served on numerous boards.

• The Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age

This program is from the Supernova 2005 series.

For Team ITC:

• Description editor: Darusha Wehm
• Post-production audio engineer: Paul Figgiani