COMMUNIST ACCESS TO WESTERN COMPUTER FACILITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A001700120031-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2007
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: May 25, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR Zbigniew Brzezinski
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National Security Affairs
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Assistant to the Pres.ident for
SUBJECT: Communist Access to Western Computer Facilities
A potential broad problem -- concerning communist country access to
computer facilities in the Nest -- has surfaced during our consideration
of an export control license matter. Quite apart from the particular
license case, this broader issue may be important to national security
and has not previously been addressed directly by the govern giant, and
so I wanted you to be aware of the matter.
The Particular Case
Control Data Corporation (CDC) sought permission of the Department's
export control authorities to demonstrate and sell its "Technotec"
service in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Technotec is a
computerized data base containing abstracts of technology available
for sale. For a fee, a Technotec subscriber located anywher= in the
world can obtain any of the information in the data base, or can
insert information into the data base for sale to other s%bsoribers.
Although Technotec's o~!n data base is relatively innocuous, our serious
concerns stemmed from Tochnotec's being a part of a much larger CDC
system called Cybernet. Cybernet; essentially a time-sharir.-7 computer
service, is comprised of high-powered computers and 5,000 te-minals
in over 150 cities in 15 countries. CDC rents portions of C::bernet
to companies that utilize it for complex calculations and for information
storage and retrieval. Technotec was incorporated into the existing
Cybernet system so that Technotec could have the benefit of all of
Cybernet's extensive equipment at little additional cost to f=-2.
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U.S. government computer experts (particularly at NSA) advised that
any subscriber to Technotec could gain illicit access both to perform
calculations on Cybernet's powerful computers and to retrieve any data
stored in Cybernet. There are no safeguards yet devised that can
effectively prevent such illicit intrusion into and manipulation of
such a computer system. The largest Cybernet computer is 17 times
more powerful than any Western computer approved for export to a
communist country, and the content of Cybernet's data bases may
contain sensitive (though unclassified) information.
Therefore, the Commerce Department has denied CDC permission to
demonstrate and sell Technotec in those countries. We consulted
closely with State, Defense (including NSA), ERDA, and the CIA, and
all recommended denial (except CIA whose practice is to take no
position). We have told CDC that its Technotec application would
receive more sympathetic consideration if Technotec were separated
from Cybernet and based on an independent, dedicated computer system.
Any Technotec subscriber could then potentially have access only to
the computers and data bases in Technotec. CDC, however, believes
that Technotec at present is not a large enough service to be
profitable if operated on a dedicated computer system.
The Broader Problem
Even though the decision on this application has been taken, there
remains the broad problem of the degree of control that can and
should be exercised, in the interest of national security, over
communist country subscription to computer time-sharing services
installed in the West. Any such communist subscriber could conceivably
have at its disposal the full range of computer facilities on the
Western system to which it has subscribed. Until now, U.S. licensing
policy has not focused on communist access to computer systems
installed in the West, but rather on the sale and transfer to
communist countries of computers made in the West.
Patters that now require study include the extent to which a subscriber
to computer systems located in the West illicitly can obtain the benefit
of all the system's facilities and, if effective safeguards against
such access are in fact impossible, the most practical manner in
which leg31 reculation can control subscriptions. An integral part
of any such regulation would be the need for coordinated action by
all the countries in CoCom with respect to computer systems in
those countries.
An answer had to he given CDC on its Technotec proposal before these
broader matters were explored. (Commerce was under a U.S. district
court instruction to reach an early decision.) It is possible that
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a full review of the broader situation will establish that communist
access to Technotec,.even if it is part of Cybernet, would pose no
threat to U.S. national security. But, based on what has been learned
so far, it is also conceivable that .stops will have to be taken to
foreclose the opportunity for access to any Western computer services
having significant capability, such as.Cybernet.
Z'am initiating an interagency study of communist country access
to Western computer facilities and will keep you inforn,
cc: Members of the Export Administration Review Board
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Remarks :
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Attached are comments on
Communist Access to Western
Computer Facilities.
SAYRE STEVENS
DDI
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STAT
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THE RETARY OF COMMERCE
? f >ie I Washi n. D.C. 27-230
MAY 2 v 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR Zbigniew Brzezinski
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
SUBJECT: Communist Access to Western Computer Facilities
I Rxec-t!"' ii.3i3tN
ti~A ~
A potential broad problem -- concerning communist country access to
computer facilities in the West -- has surfaced during our consideration
of an export control license matter. Quite apart from the particular
license case, this broader issue may be important to national security
and has not previously been addressed directly by the government, and
so I wanted you to be aware of the matter.
Control Data Corporation (CDC) sought permission of the Department's
export control authorities to demonstrate and sell its "Technotec"
service in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Technotec is a
computerized data base containing abstracts of technology available
for sale. For a fee, a Technotec subscriber Located anywhere in the
world can obtain any of the information in the data base, or can
insert information into the data base for sale to other subscribers.
Although Technotec's own data base is relatively innocuous, our serious
concerns stemmed from Technotec's being a part of a much lar;er CDC
system called Cybernet. Cybernet, essentially a time-sharing computer
service, is comprised of high-powered computers and 5,000 terminals
in over 150: cities in 15 !'Countries. CDC rents portions of Cabernet
to companies that utilize it for complex calculations and for information
storage and retrieval- Technotec was incorporated into the existing
Cybernet system so that Technotec could have the benefit of all of
Cybernet's extensive equipment at little additional cost to CDC_
SUBJECT TO M ERAL DECLA S-t1EIC 4 0
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U.S. government computer experts (particularly at NSA) advised that
any subscriber to Technotec could gain illicit access both to perform
calculations on Cybernet's powerful computers and to retrieve any data
stored in Cybernet. There are no safeguards yet devised that-can
effectively prevent such illicit intrusion into and manipulation of
such a computer system. The largest Cybernet computer is 17 times
more powerful than any Western computer approved for export to a
communist country, and the content of Cybernet's data bases may
contain sensitive (though unclassified) information.
Therefore, the Commerce Department has denied CDC permission to
demonstrate and sell Technotec in those countries. We consulted
closely with State, Defense (including NSA), ERDA, and the CIA, and
all recommended denial (except CIA whose practice is to take no
position). We have told CDC that its Technotec application would
receive more sympathetic consideration if Technotec were separated
from Cybernet and based on an independent, dedicated computer system.
Any Technotec subscriber could then potentially have access only to
the computers and data bases in Technotec. CDC, however, believes
that Technotec at present is not a large enough service to be
profitable if operated on a dedicated computer system.
The Broader Problem
Even though the decision on this application has been taken, there
remains the broad problem of the degree of control that can and
should be exercised, in the interest of national security, over
communist country subscription to computer time-sharing services
installed in the West. Any such communist subscriber could conceivably
have at its disposal the full range of computer facilities on the
Western system to which it has subscribed. -Until now, U.S. licensing
policy has not focused on communist access to computer systems
installed in the West, but rather on the sale and transfer to
communist countries of cOncputers made in the West.
Matters that now require study include the extent to which a subscriber
to computer systems located in the West illicitly can obtain the benefit
of all the system's facilities and, if effective safeguards against
such access are in fact impossible, the most practical manner in
which legal regulation can control subscriptions. An integral part
of any such regulation would be the need for coordinated action by
all the countries in CoCom with respect to computer systems in
those countries.
An answer had to be given CDC on its Technotec proposal before these
broader matters were explored. (Commerce was under a U.S. district
court instruction to reach an early decision.) It is possible that
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a full review of the broader situation will establish that communist
access to Technotec,.even if it is part of Cybernet, wou=d pose no
threat to U.S. national security. But, based on what has been learned
so far, it is also conceivable that steps will have to by taken'to
foreclose the opportunity for access to any Western computer services
having significant capability, such as Cybernet.
I am initiating an interagency study of communist country access
to Western computer facilities and will keep you informed.
~ c..GCG
Z4 It
Sidney ?ar n
cc: Members of the Export Administration Review Board
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A/DCI/PA
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