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(U) The Other Side of Open Source
FROM:
SID OPSEC Program Manager (S02L3)
Run Date: 05/26/2005
Open Source is a resource for NSA... and for the enemy, too. (U//FOUO)
(U//FOUO) As you probably know by now, NSA is increasing the amount of open source
available to intelligence analysts at an incredible rate. As Charlie Speight mentioned in his recent
SID today column , the push for inclusion of this information is coming from the highest levels of
our government. This is a wise choice, as the amount of information available via open source is
overwhelming. However, have you ever stopped to think about what this means in terms of
protecting our information?
(U//FOUO) Many of you have heard of a document called the " Terrorist Training Manual ", found
in the home of a suspected al-Qaeda member in Manchester, England in May 2000. But did you
know what that document has to say about open source information? Consider the following
quote: "Using this public source openly and without resorting to illegal means, it is possible to
gather at least 80% of information about the enemy." In other words, without stealing a single
document, tapping a single phone, or intercepting a single message, our adversaries can know
exactly what we plan to do with a very high level of certainty.
(U//FOUO) So, what can we do? Despite this grim news, all is not lost. We can still conceal our
vital secrets by protecting our critical information using the five steps of Operations Security
(OPSEC). By identifying our critical information, analyzing the threat, analyzing our
vulnerabilities, assessing our risk, and finally applying countermeasures, we can make it much
more difficult for our adversaries to adversely affect our missions or our way of life. This is
something we all have to work on as a team. We each have a responsibility to ensure that even
our unclassified information does not get exposed to those without a need to know.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108