"Former NSA Analyst" is an alias of a woman who used to work as an analyst for the National Security Agency. She was featured throughout Descent comms in Year 5, where she tried repeatedly to warn Calvin McManus, the Secretary of Homeland Security and her boss, about the danger of Gordon Amherst, only to be brushed off time after time.
After the Green Poison outbreak, she'd resign from the NSA, and was hired by Black Tusk to be their analyst for communications.
History[]
Not much is known about this woman, save for the fact she used to work for the National Security Agency as one of their analysts, surveying for any potential threats to the United States.
Her superior, Calvin McManus, was in contract with Ortiz Robotics, as he requested the company to design ISAC and use it for a field test. When she was ordered to have all NSA personnel equipped with ISAC to begin testing, she expressed her concerns of the AI's capabilities. Her boss was still in resolute in doing the test, while at the same time hoping ISAC system is all bullshit, as its fundamental design is potentially a catastrophic security breach. (Descent: Comm#31, Testing)
But as it turned out, ISAC did what it expected to do, as the Analyst informed Cal the field test in South America was doing great, since they managed to infiltrate a cartel and would have a basic outline of their infrastructure within a month, though she was still concerned about legalities in regard to civilian privacy as the Manhattan field tests spread beyond the city, as ISAC intercepted phones from tourists abroad and out of state, with one outlier being they lost the feed on a person from the UK after they did a security update on their phone. Other than that, everyone in the theater were still active, and their records were uploaded to ISAC's database on a daily basis. (Descent: Comm#13, Field Agent)
When she asked Cal about what they're doing with ISAC, he brushed off her worry by saying it's just a field test and nothing more.
Collaboration[]
The Analyst was requested by Cal to collaborate with Natalya Sokolova since Sokolov Concern (and, secretly, Black Tusk) were using Ortiz Robotics tech. When informed by Sokolova that her enterprise is using a system agnostic from the AI (DIAMOND), the Analyst requested to take a look into the systems against any major exploit to her "global security". Sokolova obliged, telling her that if she can access her system that's being locked to a biometric server, she may have to hire her. (Descent: Comm#12, Collaboration)
Concern[]
Later on, the Analyst informed Cal on the impressive and horrifying results from the ISAC field tests. Breaching into people's privacy, but mostly the fact that she intercepted a college student who was planning to seduce her professor, an adjunct at Cooper Union, teaching Virology and doing lectures on climate change and human interference.
Nevertheless, they were tracking the student, but the Analyst was apprehensive about listening to a young woman trying to seduce her professor, but Cal coerced her, telling her that part of the job involves saving lives in front of them, even if it's not as glamorous as taking down a Cartel. (Descent: Comm#18, Integration)
Acquaintance[]
At some point, the Analyst made an acquaintance with Vivian Conley, who was working as a contractor for Ortiz Robotics. During a conversation, Conley was venting her frustrations about Ortiz, as they told her the idea she had was terrible. The Analyst mentioned the company hates any ideas except their own, and Birdie was an exception, as she's a savant engineer.
Conley told her of the terrestrial firebomb pitch, and despite her friend suggesting a combat application, Conley gave them one, but Ortiz refused, said it "too war'crimey", despite the fact they have automated drones and other combat designs being considered as war crimes. As such, the Analyst told her it was their idea, so it was beyond reproach. (Descent: Comm#29, Firebrand Notes)
Potential Danger[]
As the Analyst did more surveillance on the college student, she soon learned of Gordon Amherst and his ideals being a potential danger. So, she alerted her boss, Calvin McManus, about Amherst, but he was dismissive. And when she told him of Amherst's lectures about viruses resetting the world to curb climate change, Cal only saw Amherst as a kook, while the Analyst saw the professor as a dangerous expert who could help nature along (Descent: Comm#8, Alert)
Later on, the Analyst tried to warn Cal about Amherst again, but she didn't have any proof about the professor building a biological weapon, which made Cal rant at her, as he believes the proof she had of Amherst as a threat to national security was his rants about climate change. Then, she told Cal of Amherst's association with Vitaly Tchernenko, a Russian virologist specializing in 3D printing. Cal was still dismissive, arguing that the NSA isn't supposed to care about grown men making plastic miniatures, though the Analyst countered they should care about grown men who can manufacture viruses (Descent: Comm#19, Warning).
Like last time, the Analyst tried to warn Cal about Amherst, especially given what she tracked of his online activity. When she mentioned ISAC tracking Amhrest, McManus dismissed the threat, calling ISAC as "fruit from the poisoned tree", leading her to ask when he cared where "the fruit" comes from. He mentioned President Lawrence Waller was trying to do crackdowns on privacy protections, and was getting ready for re-elections, with cybersecurity being the hot topic. The Analyst wasn't pleased about ignoring Amhrest due to politics, but she relented when her boss reminded her they're supposed to serve and follow the President's lead, leading her resolve in finding "non-poisonous fruit" on Amhrest (Descent: Comm#32, Assessment)
A bit later, when Erica Gonzalez and her boyfriend were ready to burn a Christmas tree in New York, the Analyst was ordered by Cal to prioritize Gonzalez as the threat. Like last time, she tried to convince him of Amhrest being the real threat and that Local LEOs can handle Gonzalez, but Cal threatened to put her on a transfer to the Roswell office himself if she doesn't do what she's told. Therefore, the Analyst focused to inform all units to report the tree lighting ceremony. Cal told her that Amherst is living in a fantasy and is not a threat, with the Analyst hoping he was right. (Descent: Comm#33: Priority)
Outbreak[]
Unfortunately, the Analyst's concerns about Gordon Amherst were proven correct as the Green Poison outbreak was unleashed and soon spread to DC, including the Detention Center. So, the Analyst informed Cal about this, and he made an order to abandon the Data and Detention Centers, and have the staff relocated to the Underground NSA Facility (the same facility housing Descent simulation program) to set up a quarantine for rapid testing, though the Analyst informed him that ISAC can detect viral loads from the virus, so she suggested separating the personnel who were infected and the personnel who were not infected, and study any asymptomatic carriers to develop a vaccine to keep the Green Poison at bay, even suggesting to look into Amherst's apartment or office for any research or data that could help in reverse engineering against the virus.
The situation was stressful as it is, as the Analyst swore during the conversation. Then she was ordered by Cal to have everyone from the Data and Detention Centers packed and ready, while she brings whatever she needs to the Facility to continue working or containing the virus. (Descent: Comm#21, Relocation)
Guilt[]
During the Division's activation, the Analyst ranted to her friend, Vivian Conley, about how Calvin McManus and how his negligence towards Gordon Amherst let the Green Poison outbreak happen. She wasn't in the mood with Conley being coy about the outbreak or her being activated as a Division agent, and she felt guilt as The Division weren't supposed to be activated unless circumstances were truly, was being activated, how she could've stood up to Cal and stop Amherst before he unleashed the Virus.
Despite Conley trying to assure her that Cal will take the fall, the Analyst was pessimistic, arguing that people like him never pay the price for their mistakes, and he was more likely to get a promotion from the ongoing crisis. Conley thought he could become the new Secretary of Defense, while the Analyst thought he could be promoted to President, which Conley found the prospect terrifying enough that she'd rather move to Sweden, as seeing McManus being POTUS would really be the "end of the world". (Descent: Comm#34, Hindsight)
Black Tusk's Employ[]
At a later point, the Analyst resigned from the NSA and was personally hired by Black Tusk, working for the organization ever since, as Natalya Sokolova saw potential in her skills.
After the confrontation between the Division and The Recruiter that transpired in Camp White Oak, and Sokolova ordering personnel to use landlines for communications moving forward, the Analyst was set to work in keeping the landlines secure from any wiretaps, including ISAC. After the Manager gave his thoughts about the interconnectedness between SHD and DIAMOND, Sokolova saw merit in his point, and decided to pay a visit to the Analyst, to see if she won't mind brushing off some of her old skillsets to handle the problem. (Manhunt: The Pact, Comm#5, Networks)