The deputy director of the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) during the Edward Snowden leaks has backed the Australian government's push to force tech giants to assist in revealing the content of some encrypted messages, saying the likes of Facebook and Apple could do more to help track terrorists and criminals.

Speaking to The Australian Financial Review ahead of a trip to Australia this week, Chris Inglis, who was the NSA's highest-ranking civilian from 2006 to 2014 says the government's plan to enact law enforcement powers to crack open encryption by the end of the year is an appropriate attempt to strike a balance between protecting privacy and protecting citizens from terrorism.