In the United States of America, approximately 70% of the intelligence budget was spent on contracts in 2006.
[3] Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States Congress increased the funding flow to the intelligence community.
With this secrecy comes speculation that at least 50% of the entire budget now flows to the private sector [Abbot].
It is also estimated that in the intelligence community much of the 15,000 analysts are drawing private-sector paychecks as a result of "butts in seats.
"[5] Since the September 11 attacks, U.S. telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon have actually outsourced all their controversial NSA-mandated internet and telephone surveillance to the contractors Narus and Verint respective, both of which have close ties to Israeli intelligence services,[6] although they maintain headquarters in the U.S.