Exclusive: NSA to Host Hacker Reunion in Bid to Rebuild Secretive TAO Unit
The National Security Agency will host a first-of-its-kind reunion at Fort Meade for alumni of its elite hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations (TAO), as part of an unorthodox recruitment push to rebuild a division the agency has struggled to staff. The event, spearheaded by NSA Deputy Director Tim Kosiba, a former TAO technical director, includes a tour of the new TAO building and a pitch to return.
Organisers initially worked through the National Cryptologic Foundation before an invitation-only Signal group chat dubbed "Terminated Async Operations" grew to hundreds of former operators, developers and analysts. The NSA declined to comment; the exclusive is based on multiple anonymous participants and sources. The gathering reflects both the challenge of retaining offensive-operations talent and the agency's broader push to rebuild public trust.