The first part of the book examines Mr Snowden’s rather patchy professional career. He was neither (as many believe, and he has claimed) a successful and senior intelligence officer, nor was he a computer wizard. Mysteriously, possibly through his family’s extensive connections with the spy world, he joined the CIA, but proved untrustworthy and incompetent. On leaving, he kept his security clearance, making him eligible for a good job in the private sector, where computer-literate ex-spooks are at a premium. But secrecy rules meant that nobody could check on his past.
本书第一部分调查了斯诺登相当牵强的专业生涯。他既不是一位成功的高级情报官员（许多人认为他是，包括他自己也曾这样宣称），也不是一位电脑奇才。他鬼使神差地进入了中央情报局（CIA）（或许依靠他家庭与间谍领域广泛的联系），但是结果发现他不可信赖，也无法胜任工作。离开之际，斯诺登保留了他的安全通行证，使得他能够在隐私部门谋求个好职位，在那些部门懂电脑的前间谍很受青睐。然而，保密条例意味着无人可以查看他的履历。
