MINUTES OF THE 1 SEPTEMBER WSEWG MEETING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2010
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: September 12, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/18: CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0
12 September 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR: Members of the Workstation Environment
Working Group
SUBJECT: Minutes of the 1 September WSEWG Meeting _
1. The Workstation Environment Working Group of the CIA
Information Systems Board held its fourth meeting on Thursday,
September 1, 1983. Members and alternates attending were:
anne
lso attended, as did Rox-
25X1
25X1
2. sitting in for (started the 25X1
meeting with a ha f-hour briefing on security issues relating to
workstations: handed out a copy of the draft
25X1
F
"Automatic Information Processing System Security"; excerpts from
the Wang RFP; some notes on security policies regarding terminals;
and a one page summary o ty issues for workstations. These
issues were the focus of sP talk. They are:
-- Internal non-volatile memory;
-- Switching terminals between mainframes and applica-
tions accessing information at different security
levels;
-- User authentication;
-- Tamper detection;
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/18: CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/18: CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0
Minutes of the 1 September WSEWG Meeting
-- Personal computers as workstations;
-- PCs linked in networks;
-- PCs used by NOCs.
25X1
II
fi
25X1
3. I Observed that, from the user's point of view, many LJnI
of these issues are not problems at all but are at the heart of
the power and appeal of ADP. He wondered why we seem to have a
double standard of security: we seem to demand much more security
for information in computers than we do when it is on hard copy in
a safe. This kicked off a lively discussion the outcome of which
appeared to be general agreement that we ought to help the user
avoid inadvertent compromises when this can be done without making
the system substantially harder to use, but that elaborate meas-
ures to protect against a determined p are often counter-
productive and probably doomed anyway. wondered what the
security implications were of locating workstations in vaulted
versus non-vaulted areas. Just one was suggested: if the work-
station has local storage, like a hard disk, it must be removable
if the workstation is located in a non-vaulted area.
4. The draft minutes of the 25 August meeting were approved
with some minor corrections.
5. The Group then began discussing the second revision of
the draft outline for its interim report to the Board. There
seemed to be general agreement that this outline was on target.
presented, discussed, and fitted into the outline. Armour charged
each'member with thinking about drafting assignments, especially
.personal preferences for them, and that he hoped to complete dis-
cussion of the outline at the next meeting and assign drafting
responsibilities for each section.
suggested that a short caveat be added to the paper
t.hat ere are important areas beyond its scope and that these
should be addressed by someone someday. The Group agreed to add-
ing this idea in section 3, Scope. A number of other ideas were
6. announced that he has arranged for a demon-
stration of Microsoft's new word processing software, "The Word."
The demonstration will begin at 1000 on 13 September in Heada_uar-
ters;F~ will let us know the room number.
to find and propose a candidate.
7. informed the Group that Mr. Briggs won-
ders whether the Group should have a professional,word-processor
operator on it, perhaps someone from or chosen by the DCI Secre-
tarial MAG. The Group agreed that this is a good idea.
is
-2-
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/18: CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/18: CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0
Minutes of the 1 September WSEWG Meeting -
ing.
8. suggested that the Group invite) lof
ODP/SPD to-brie us on the technical feasibility of various short
term options. The Group agreed; to arrange the brief- 25X1
9. There being no further business, the meeting was
adjourned. The next meeting is to be held on Monday, 12 Septem-
ber, from 1000-1200 in room 3C28, Headquarters.
25X1
-3-
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/18: CIA-RDP85-00142R000100030028-0