science

Special Source Operations

Special Source Operations is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Special Source Operations rather than just read about it. In short: Special Source Operations (SSO) is a division in the US National Security Agency (NSA) which is responsible for all programs aimed at collecting data from major fiber-optic cables and switches, both inside the US and abroad, and also through corporate partnerships. Its existence was revealed through documents provided by Edward Snowden to media outlets in 2013 and, according to him, it is the "crown jewel" of the NS…

Key takeaways

Special Source Operations belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Special Source Operations to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Special Source Operations from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Special Source Operations (SSO) is a division in the US National Security Agency (NSA) which is responsible for all programs aimed at collecting data from major fiber-optic cables and switches, both inside the US and abroad, and also through corporate partnerships. Its existence was revealed through documents provided by Edward Snowden to media outlets in 2013 and, according to him, it is the "crown jewel" of the NSA.

History The program began in 2006, according to one of Snowden's documents, when the NSA was collecting the equivalent of "one Library of Congress every 14.4 seconds". The Washington Post described the official seal of the SSO division as something "that might have been parody: an eagle with all the world's cables in its grasp."

Notable programs The five biggest collection programs of the Special Source Operations division are codenamed:

DANCINGOASIS SPINNERET MOONLIGHTPATH INCENSER AZUREPHOENIX Other known programs include:

PRISM – front-door collection using Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) orders MUSCULAR – back-door collection from Google and Yahoo private clouds Upstream collection – which includes: FAIRVIEW BLARNEY STORMBREW OAKSTAR

See also Special Collection Service Tailored Access Operations

References

External links INCENSER, or how NSA and GCHQ are tapping internet cables NSA's largest cable tapping program: DANCINGOASIS

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Special Source Operations

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Special Source Operations claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Special Source Operations before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Special Source Operations ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Special Source Operations

In research: Special Source Operations appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Special Source Operations in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Special Source Operations is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics National Security Agency, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Special Source Operations outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Special Source Operations in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Special Source Operations means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Special Source Operations out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Special Source Operations in simple terms?

Why does Special Source Operations matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Special Source Operations?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Special Source Operations.