
Patrick Weadon
Curator
NSA Cryptological Museum
Annapolis, MD USA
“The more you know about the world, the better you’re going to be at your job.”
NSA Cryptological Museum
Annapolis, MD USA
“The more you know about the world, the better you’re going to be at your job.”
Curator
I am a former NSA agent working to give people a wider understanding of cryptology.
My main goal going into work every day is to help people understand the critical role the making and breaking of codes have played throughout history and to (hopefully) help them develop an appreciation for the importance of the agency's mission. I manage our collection of thousands of artifacts and ensure they are presented to the public thoughtfully and accurately. I also oversee our team of docents and volunteers who lead tours and interact with visitors.
Learn as much as you can about a wide variety of technologies. The more you know, the better informed you will be when trying to protect people from the risks associated with those technologies.
Here's the first step for high school students
It is important to be educated, no matter who you are or what you do; whether you go to college or not. Education is the key to everything.
"You don't have a cell phone? You must miss out on a lot of things."
If you are not in that technological club, people are going to think that it is strange. There is always a new piece of technology and new problems to go along with it. I had to learn to keep up. In the cyber world, the moment you think you have everything solved, something comes along to challenge you. You have to accept that and keep going.