SECURITY ASPECTS OF EXPANDING CIA PARTICIPATION IN COINS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04723A000100090020-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 3, 2002
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: January 23, 1970
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2002/05/08 CIA-RDP78-04723A000100090020-5
MEMORANDUM.FOR; CIA Member, Intelligence Information
,Handling Committee
Security Aspects of Expanding CIA
Participation in COINS
1. Reference is made to your verbal request on 22 January 1970
for information concerning the security aspects of expanding CIA par-
ticipation in COINS from the current two or three hour-a-day period to
Lull time.
2. Previous agreements, based on the necessity of affording
special protection to our SANCA file, reflected that the SANCA file
ould not be resident in the time-sharing system while that system is
open to query from other members of the COINS network. This has
resulted in COINS being permitted access to the time-sharing system
two, and more recently three, hours each day. ^ During these periods"
3. Although there are other files on the OCS time-sharing
system which could be afforded similar protection, historically the
security problem involving COINS access to the CIA system has
centered around the sensitivity, of the SANCA,file. The sensitivity of
the latter is predicated among other reasons on the fact that it contains
Agency source information.-.
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Approved for Release 2002/05X08`: CIA-RDP78-04723A000100090020'-5
 .Approved For Release 2002/05/08 CIA.-RDP78-04723A00010009002Q-5 ,
4. While it is recognized that from an operation viewpoint it is
desirable to permit both COINS and SANCA to utilize the systern simul-
taneously on a full-time basis, the security factors involved and the
artmentation do not permit this without a high degree of
om
d f
p
or c
nee
confidence in the compartmentation features of the time-sharing system
itself.
ed that several security features have
it is acknowled
l
e
5 Whi
g
been introduced into the operation of the time-sharing system, approval
stem could not
f th
e sy
for simultaneous SANCA and COINS utilization o
be recommended by this office without an analysis and testing of these
features. The decision would rest with senior Agency management.
6a To permit an informed decision, a thorough analysis, evaluation,
and testing of the security of the system hardware and software are con-
sidered necessary. This effort would permit quantification of the degree
stem and useable evidence that its operation
of protection provided by the system
is or is not adequate from a security viewpoint. 7. While some effort has been directed during the past year toward
ether with changes in system hardware
to
g
lacy. of resources,
this end, a
nd
and software, has prevented this analysis a testing from being completed.
An examination of resources available to conduct such an analysis and tests
While the Office of Security
in the coming months does not look promising
is genuinely interested in executing a program of this nature, both with
s SANCAICOINS utilization of the time-
l
`
taneou
to possible simu
reference
sharing system and for evaluating other Agency systems, with the constraints
arent that no concerted
it is a
pp
of limited manpower and other resources,
ent time
h
d
e. p~ w
effort can be initiated toward this end at, t
 Approved For Release 2002/05/08 :CIA-RDP78-04723A000100090020-5
S. it is perhaps necessary then to seek other alternatives for
resolving the issue. An.jong such other alternatives is a suggestion
_ rrA P"( TNTR -71n 1-%n
trans erred to the CRS computer system and that the latter serve as
the Agency, segment of COLAS.
Approved For. Release 2002/05/08 : CIA RDP78=04723A000100090020-5