OC-CS COMMENTS ON PROPOSED RESPONSE TO GAO INQUIRY ON COMSEC MEASURES FOR TAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 5, 2005
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 29, 1975
• Content Type: FORM

! J _ L A S S FI ED, I h T I 1J CONFIDENTIAL
(!TF 0-:!If
Office of Legislative Counsel.
f3(_C19 Eq.
building}
k`CCEIVED EGPWARDED
DD /P&M)
__-4.E_60 Hq.-
C/ISSG/C
1E4838
~jll 0165 ~
Donald Eirich, GAO, has wr+_tte in asking for formal written
response to the questions that he
posed to me telephonically
several weeks ago.
Attached for your comment is a
proposed reply. George Carr
will sign unless you feel so c.c5 f
else s*rpuld.
Assistant Legislative Gounse
7 aaa asano~Q1li19 ~,.
;D v5 ?e.ti l,M [] SECRET [.-a LGNFIDEP TIAL 0 E R AL El U CLA S 1~-_E USE
~DATE ,
Z4 October 1975
O.FICER'S CO MMENTS (Number each comment te, show Aho.i
INITIAL". to whom. Draw u lino across column after each corr,m+,nt.
 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
Mr. Donald L. Eirich
Associate Director
United States General Accounting Office
Washington, D. C. 20548
This is in reply to your letter of 6 October 1975 to the Director
requesting that the Agency respond to several questions to assist in
your evaluation of the computer and communication security proposed
for the Internal Revenue Service's new Tax Administration System.
As was explained to you byl I computer and STAT
communication systems are clearly vulnerable to technical compromise
unless protected by encoding andother protective measures. Our
concern is solely the foreign threat to national security information
which is clearly recognized and the systems maintained by the Central
Intelligence Agency are so protected. Also, we can only comment on
the foreign intelligence aspects of the problem since the domestic threat
is clearly a matter for comment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The efforts of certain foreign intelligence organizations against
national security agencies and national security information to acquire
communications information by wiretapping and other means are clearly
documented. Documentation concerning efforts against other targets
is not clear. It must be presumed, however, that the opposition directs
these efforts against all targets to meet its requirements. In this regard,
with the increasing importance of economic intelligence, the threat of
clandestine collection efforts to develop such data cannot be overlooked or
underestimated.
Though we have no indications of a concerted foreign directed
collection effort for tax data, a foreign intelligence organization -could
make valuable use of tax data concerning individuals and organizations
of interest. If the tax data is so maintained as to allow the compromise
of specific: targets, the threat would be decidedly increased.
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
In sum, this Agency recognizes the importance of tax data
to a foreign intelligence organization in specific cases. We feel,
however, that a judgment as to the sensitivity of tax data overall
is a matter for the Internal Revenue Service to decide and we offer
no comment in that regard.
Sincerely,
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
2
 25X1 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
 !mm nccl F-I i aLFs f`1 r+r~ l s ~m~tto~~
Xlpproved"Forl elease 20p (~ , 3M'"~IPR"-` jBPJ% ' 4}T ?90 0 - ??. ? .
STAT
FROM:
Office of Lega.slative Counsel.
6 C19 J-1 q.
To: (Ori,cer designation, room number, and DATE
bonding}
REC!:iVEC) ! FORWARDED
C /ISSG /OS
1E4838
Assistant P-, ,. ative Couz ,s?:
OFfIC?R'S
INITIALS
i DATE
STAT
COA;MENT5 (Number each or,r ent tc howlrorft
to wi,om. brow a line ocross column a';r?t curb i:nmmt?.ni
Donald Eirich, GAO, has writ e
in asking for formal written
response to the questions that ha
posed to me telepl-tonically
several weeks ago.
Attached for your comment is a
proposed reply. George C< sT~' T
will sign unless you feel .,r.1rAz{
else should.
Please respond soonest and no
later than 30 October.
cc: EO/DDA, C/CS/OC,
DD /P&M/OS
- STAT
foRM
3-62
v t~ ftrr ~fease?X5/0.744=3: G#A-R{ k7J1M144ROOO60OQ2O0-09
P ()us
r
ED T ~
[.._i SECRET CJ CONFIDENTIAL E] USE .? 04? UINCLASS IFIEL0 -1
 STAT
j1NCLASSIFIED
NTERNAL
JSL.-41111
^ CONFIDENTIAL ^ SECRET
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
FROM:
Office of Legislative Counsel
EXTENSION
NO.
OLC 75-2682
6C19 11q.
DATE
29 October 1975
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1.
EA/DDO
pC
1
~3
7E26FI N g
q.
c
The response to GAO's letter
2.
is being coordinated with
and
the Offices of Securit
y
Communications. Would. you
3.
please look it over to assure
that we are factually correct
i.e. there are no indica-
4.
tions of a concerted foreign
directed collection effort
for tax data.
ST
Would appreciate your
comments soonest.
6.
7.
S.
10
.
11.
13
.
14.
15.
3-62 610 EDITIONS SECRET CONFIDENTIAL USE ONLY UNCLASSIFIED
^
T
 ` jpyed ForleAWi/07/13 SECRE'
lfF f:?Y
ROJT NO AND 'J CO D s[' I;E T
Office of Legislative Counsel
6 C19 Hq.
TO; (Officer dtniy: otion, room numbir, -and
building)
DATE
r t
FECCIVED FORWARDED
DATE24 October 1975
----~. --~STRT
COM,'AENTS (Nurnberr each comment to show from whv3
to whom. Dow a line across column after each commert.t
Donald Eirich, GAO, has written
in asking for for. ma.l written
response to the questions that he
posed to me telephonically
several weeks ago.
Attached for your comment is a
proposed reply. George Cary
will sign unless you feel sonie.ST
else should. ;:.
04 - i7? t'v e / `'
STAT
Assistant LViativf, C()umt c
cc: EO/DDA, C/CS/OC,
C /ISSG /OS
Please respond soonest and
no later than 30 October.
Ta
Approved For ReleasE
EXTENSION NO.
OLC 75-2682
%-.ICER'S
INITIALS
01 44 C 5 5
 STAT Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8
Next 1 Page(s) In Document Exempt
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000600020009-8