CIA/NSA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING DEVELOPMENET AND USE OF COMSEC EQUIPMENT(Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00156R000200060001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 9, 1979
• Content Type: MF

Appr d For Release 2005/04/19 : Cl
DD/A Registry
fDD/s&'t#O-?9
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations ' - - -- ----
Deputy-Director for Science and Technology
FROM
John F. Blake
Deputy Director for
D
/A Regts
Administrftba
SUBJECT CIA/NSA Memorandum of Understanding Regarding
Development and Use of COMSEC Equipment I
1. Action Requested: Paragraph 2.c below contains
the text of a CIA NSA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which
is being submitted for your consideration and concurrence.
It is a counterproposal drafted by the Office of Communi-
cations in response to an MOU drafted by the National Security
Agency (NSA). The NSA draft is attached. I I
2. Background:
,a. Earlier this year, during the CIA/NSA negoti-
ations over the language of the National Communications
Security Directive, the Office of Communications (OC),
on behalf of the Agency, agreed to work out an under-
standing with NSA which would more sharply define
25X1 use
of Communications Security (COMSEC) equipment. The
agreement to work out such a statement was given as
quid pro quo for NSA acceptance of a paragraph in the
National COMSEC Directive which exempts CIA from certain
national COMSEC policy constraints when it conducts
communications in performance of its NSCID No. 5
25X1
b. Pursuant to the agreement explained in the
preceding paragraph, NSA drafted the MOU text which
is attached. The NSA draft is unacceptable because
it requires "...case-by-case authorization." That
phrase could be used to compel the Agency to disclose
NSA review(s) completed.
OGC Has Reviewed
 25X1
Approved Fo lease 20Qa10R : pIA-RDP83-001500200060001-9
SUBJECT: CIA/NSA Memorandum of Understanding Regarding
Development and Use of COMSEC Equipment
the operational details
0
In its counterproposal,
uses language which is based on the premise that when
a cryptographic system is certified as providing an
acceptable level of communications protection or secu-
rity, the operational deployment of that system is a
matter which should be left to the discretion of
the Agency.
c. The MOU which is being proposed as a substitute
for the NSA version is: "The CIA may develop and
deploy unique cryptographic equipment to safeguard
telecommunications conducted in support of special
operations authorized by NSCID No. 5. NSA shall
approve such cryptographic equipment and shall
advise CIA of any proscriptions associated with
the application of such unique equipment." n
3. Recommendation: Please indicate your concurrence
the language proposed in paragraph 2.c above. n
25X1
10 JAN 7979
John H. Stein
Deputy Director for Operations Date
2 5 JAN 1979
25X1
Attachment:
As stated
Deputy Director for Science and Technology Date
enera ounse to
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 Approved Fo lease 2005/04/1'9: cIA-RDP83-00100200060001-9
SUBJECT: CIA/NSA Memorandum of Understanding Regarding
Development and Use of COMSEC Equipment
Distribution:
Original - Please return to D/CO w/att
- DDA w/att
- DDO w/att
0
1 - DDS$T w/att
1 - OGC w/att
25X1
Date
Director of Communications
Approved For Release 2005/04/19 :8IA-RDP83-00156R000200060001-9
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 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
002oDU6U0D'I-J TO
SUBJECT: MOU Regarding Development and Use of COMSEC Equipment !,Under
NSCID No. 5 (U)
(S) Equipment and material for the security or protection of
telecommunications may be developed and produced by the Central
Intelligence Agency only upon case-by-case authorization of the
Director, National Security Agency, and are to be used only in
clandestine operations as provided for by NSCID No. 5.
Deputy Director, NSA Director of Communications
for Central Intelligence Agency
Communications Security
Classified by C1RE4SA/G1i'SS (NSA/C~Si:1123.2)
Exempt fre:n GDS. EO 11652. Gatcgory 2
Approved For Release 2005/04/19: CIA-RDFA&. 0y156ROOO~?Y9il6l~Ob`M' 'u"'ator