The NSA's mission is focused on protecting U.S. assets and interests through various levels of secure networks. However, concerns arise as to why they do not disclose exploits found in Microsoft and Google products to help these companies stay secure.
A NOC is responsible for finding and fixing network faults, while a SOC is responsible for detecting and responding to security incidents. The NSA has both a NOC and a SOC to manage and defend their network against the large number of attacks that they receive.
The NSA publishes best practices for securing data, but their offensive data collection techniques remain secretive. Criminals using satellite phones are now aware that they are being tracked.
The NSA's core mission is to protect US communications and assets, including American companies doing business overseas who are often being spied on by foreign intelligence. Their work in crypto research and breaking encryption is part of this mission, despite public misconceptions.
The debate over disclosing zero day exploits to tech companies is complex, with arguments for both sides. While some argue that disclosing all vulnerabilities will better secure the country, others believe keeping some exploits secret can provide an advantage for national security purposes.