Re: it's function was the same
That the function is the same is not, in itself, an issue for me. That it comes from a group of people not supposed to be under the influence of governments or spooks is a very big plus in my book.
The fact that the NSA could have purchased a board is not a problem either. A proper cryptographic process can be entirely public, it will be no less efficient in keeping data secure because the keys are not public (well, half of them aren't). If the code and hardware of this project are properly thought out and truly secure, there is nothing the NSA can do to it without physical access - and we know the rule on that.