This wasn't providing the key as much as the schematics to the lock, which turns out, they pretty much do:
https://www.kwikset.com/Libraries/Literature/Rekeying_Manual...
Knowing that his customers privacy was on the line, knowing that there was no due process, knowing that revealing the source would help the NSA violate his customers privacy, not needing any explanation or legal paperwork, not even truly knowing if the person on the other end of the line actually was the NSA, not a private citizen trying to violate the privacy of another citizen he decided to comply without question.
Ticking bomb scenarios that can be solved by cracking encryption are so rare I'm not aware of any existing in history.
The right answer was to request a court order and wait. If it was truly a matter of national security they can also wake up the judge in the middle of the night and have an officer of the court serve it.
They were obsequious about it because they didn't have a leg to stand on. 50 50 they weren't even the NSA but rather a sailor trying to spy on a mates computer.
Seeing as all you did was call a naval base and get transferred several times how do we know he wasn't talking to a random individual at the base.
Logically the fact that you called into the navy base indicates you are talking to them but by the time you get transferred how do you know who you are ultimately talking to?
Couldn't you be talking to anyone who works at the navy or works with someone who works at the navy? One great thing about court orders is that its trivial to authenticate them and they get the exciting task of making sure the person asking for them is a legitimate actor on legitimate business.
If a random private wanted to fool you couldn't they have had you call in in such a way as you would trivially be talking to a known party who will ultimately transfer you said party? Hey this joker is going to be transferred to your extension asking to speak to john doe at the NSA send him to my extension please.
Considering that we now know that intelligence apparatus was used to spy on love interests how do you know you were collaborating with a legitimate legal operation as opposed to illegal spying on citizens?
Likely you aren't in a position to judge right which is why we have you know judges and court orders and such ceremony.
I respond to random calls that seem strange by hanging up and telling them to send me something official in the mail.
Neither the people who claim they would like me to give me a fortune I inherited overseas, the guy who claimed I won the lottery, or the guy that claimed to be the IRS demanding immediate payment have followed up yet.
At best your judgement is questionable.
But in response to the people here who think I was tricked. That's not the case. What I didn't put in the post was that a team from the NSA visited me in California a few months later. But again, had I been tricked, it wouldn't have mattered.
I'm sorry this is utterly beyond belief.
If I understand correctly such a request could be made by anyone running your software.