‘Make security your thing’: how the NSA promoted secrecy in bizarre Cold War office art

Long before Edward Snowden, during the Cold War, the US National Security Agency (NSA) knew how to encourage employees to keep their mouths shut about government secrets. It knew a thing or two about graphic design, as seen on a batch of declassified posters that emphasise the need for silence. 

More than a hundred vintage NSA flyers from the 1950s onwards were published earlier this month by the Government Attic website that posts obscure government documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. 

From pop-culture references to holiday-themed posters, the NSA office art took creativity to a new level and made sure to grab the staff’s attention. 

At water coolers, cafeterias and restrooms, NSA officers were always reminded that “security is a state of mind” and were warned against throwing away sensitive information into garbage bins. Although “security is no laugh-in matter,” RTD has picked out the most bizarre, odd, and sometimes surreal NSA posters.