Who is responsible for collecting foreign signals and information assurance?

The National Security Agency (NSA) is primarily responsible for collecting foreign signals and ensuring information assurance. This agency focuses on signals intelligence (SIGINT), which involves intercepting and analyzing foreign communications and electronic signals. The NSA plays a critical role in national defense and security by monitoring potential threats and gathering intelligence that can inform decision-making.

In addition to signals collection, the NSA is also tasked with protecting U.S. government communications and data networks, making it a pivotal organization in maintaining information assurance. This encompasses not only the protection of sensitive information but also ensuring the integrity and availability of communications for national defense purposes.

While the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency focuses on geospatial data and imagery, and the National Reconnaissance Office is primarily involved in satellite reconnaissance, neither of these agencies has the same level of responsibility for SIGINT as the NSA. The Department of Homeland Security, on the other hand, concentrates on domestic security issues rather than foreign signals collection.

Thus, the emphasis on intelligence collection involving foreign signals directly aligns with the mandate of the NSA, confirming it as the correct answer.