Over the past few years, the National Security Agency has made headlines, and not in a good way. Former national security contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified documents to multiple media outlets on such a scale that the world took notice. The day the world learned about the Prism program, among others, was June 5, 2013, when Ed Snowden gave details of the programs to the Guardian and the Washington Post. Ed Snowden exposed these secrets as a member of the NSA, but fled the country before the leaks to avoid being imprisoned by authorities. Immediately after the leaks, Ed Snowden became famous for monitoring around the clock which country would grant him asylum. He is currently staying at a Moscow airport while awaiting his appeal (Staff, 2013). He claimed that he “did not want to live in a society like this,” which is why he decided to reveal state secrets for the whole world to see (Staff, 2013). Now that you know the man behind the leaks, it's time you learn about the program and its scope and real impact. To understand the Prism program, you need to understand the post-9/11 world we live in and how the attacks have petrified the intelligence community. September 11, 2001 is one of the most important dates in American history because nothing was the same afterward. The attacks left Americans thinking: Are we really safe at home? The Bush administration declared the September 11 attacks as a declaration of war and since that day, the intelligence community has been given every possible tool to thwart another September 11 attack. Immediately after 9/11, the Patriot Act was passed and was one of, if not the most controversial pieces of legislation in recent memory. After the Patriot Act, there was the Protect Americ...... middle of paper ...... at http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57588253-83/what-is- the-nsas-prism-program-faq/Guardian, T. (November 1, 2013). Slides from the NSA Prism Program. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/nov/01/prism-slides-nsa-document Lee, T. (June 12, 2013). Here's everything we know about the Prism so far. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/12/heres-everything-we-know-about-prism-to-date/Lejacq, Y. (July 31, 2013). How the NSA xkeyscore program works. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/how-nsas-xkeyscore-program-works-f6C10812168Of Justice, D. (nd). What is the Protect America Act?. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/Staff, V. (July 17, 2013). Everything you need to know about prism. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/17/4517480/nsa-spying-prism-surveillance-cheat-sheet