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SIGINT and the Department of Homeland Security

SUMMARY

How NSA serves the new Department of Homeland Security, which does not yet have a unified internal classified computer network. DHS’s interests requiring signals intelligence include terrorism, foreign officials’ views on U.S. policy, and foreign economic conditions.

DOCUMENT’S DATE

Sep 05, 2003

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

Mar 12, 2018

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DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (U//FOUO) SIGINT and the Department of Homeland Security FROM: SID Account Manager for Homeland Security Run Date: 09/05/2003 (U) Related note: Mr. Larry Castro will present briefings on 8 and 9 September here at NSA on the Agency's support to DHS. See the NSA-all email for further details. (U//FOUO) On 1 March 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assumed operational control of nearly 180,000 employees from 22 different agencies. Six months later, the Department is taking shape as it merges those agencies into a cohesive organization that will allow it to best fulfill its "Homeland Security" mission. While the transformation is far from complete (after all, this is the largest reorganization in the federal government in over 50 years!), NSA is there as it has been since Day 1 reaching out to support the new Department. (C) Even before DHS began to articulate its INs (Information Needs), SID began to proactively "push" Homeland Security-related SIGINT products to them. SID had existing well-established relationships with organizations that have now been merged into the new Department, such as the Secret Service and Coast Guard . SID continues to send reports directly to them; however, we also send the reports to the DHS-wide designator (HOMESEC) to ensure other DHS customers, including senior leadership, are also informed. (S//SI) DHS customers' intelligence interests and their INs range from typical terrorist-related topics, to views of foreign officials on U.S. policy decisions, economic conditions that may affect foreign views on Homeland Security related initiatives, and even foreign responses to health issues (such as recent reporting on the SARS epidemic). SID continues to work with DHS to identify and formalize their SIGINT INs. (S) SID Product Line offices have been very proactive in providing as much information as possible in SECRET level tear-lines or Write-to-Release sections of reports. Furthermore, SID Customer Response is looking for new and innovative ways to get both TS//SI and sanitized SIGINT into the hands of customers as effectively as possible. This is especially important for DHS, since they do not yet have a unified, internal classified computer network. The TS//SI information is being disseminated across DHS, but there is no efficient means to share it. There are a number of delivery/dissemination programs being considered to possibly use with DHS as a testbed. (U) This is a quick look at the kind of support SID has been providing to DHS. If you are wondering what else we are doing, or you believe your office has a service or product that may be useful in supporting this customer, contact the SID Account Manager for Homeland Security, or the Senior Executive Account Manager, Pres Winter. (U//FOUO) For more information on the Department of Homeland Security and NSA's support to it, to include the National Strategy for Homeland Security (July 2002), Executive Orders, Directives and other documents impacting Homeland Security, please go to NSA's Homeland Security Support Office homepage (or type "go homelandsecurity"). "(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)." DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108