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(U) Write Right: Where Does It Say I Can't?
FROM:
of the Reporting Board (S12R)
Run Date: 10/26/2006
(U//FOUO) Information Sharing Services (S12), as the
dissemination authority for NSA, often gets asked to permit
unorthodox dissemination methods - or is made aware of them
when they're brought to our attention by someone who says, "I
didn't know we could do that." ISS is then many times in the
unenviable position of denying permission, or requesting that the
activity be discontinued - which invariably draws the question,
"Where does it say I can't?"
(U//FOUO) The answer is that that's the wrong question; it should
be "Where does it say I CAN?" A frequently overlooked aspect of
NSA's mission is that we can engage only in those activities that
we are specifically permitted to do. Permitted by whom? By the law
(from the Constitution to federal statutes and Executive Orders,
which have the force of law), by DCI and DNI directive, by the
SISR (Signals Intelligence Security Regulations) - as interpreted by
NSA's Corporate Policy (DC3), SID Policy, etc.
(U//FOUO) Why do we have to have specific, documented
permission? First of all, because We're The Government. Not in the
sense of We're The Boss, or What We Say Goes, but in the sense
that we work for Uncle Sam - that is, for the taxpayers. As anyone
who reads the Enlighten* FAQ knows, newbies who ask why they
can't discuss non-work-related matters on Enlighten are told that
use of government communications facilities is subject to much
more restriction than are privately or company-owned facilities.**
We are accountable to the taxpayers for what we do with
equipment they've paid for - and for what we do to accomplish our
mission. Because, in a sense, they're the boss.
(U//FOUO) Furthermore, this process is mandated by the
fundamental American concept of limited government; remember
the system of checks and balances you learned about in civics
classes? The Founding Fathers purposely set up our system of
government in such a way as to prevent too much power from
being concentrated in one entity. This is also why NSA, like other
federal bodies, has an Office of General Counsel whose job it is to
tell us what we can and can't legally do (and what we could do but
what would be inadvisable).
(U//FOUO) Policy is not made in a vacuum. NSA organizations
charged with establishing policy guidance for NSA activities do not
spend their days dreaming up guidelines in order to make our work
harder; their job is to interpret national-level directives from the
executive, the legislative, and the judicial branches of government
to ensure that our activities comply with the law.
(U//FOUO) This is not to say that policy can't be changed! It
can, and, with increasing frequency, it is. New communications
technologies, new intelligence initiatives, new or modified statutes
and directives - many things require reinterpretation of policy
SERIES:
(U) Write Right '06
1. Write Right : Grab
Bag
2. Write Right :
Frequently Asked
Question: Where Do
I Go for Help With
USSID SP0018
Issues?
3. Write Right : The
Style Manual vs.
USSID 300 -- er,
USSID CR1400
4. Write Right : The
Paperless Society
5. Write Right : Is That
Collateral, or Is It a
Comment?
6. Write Right : What's
a URS Center?
7. Write Right : Caveat
Scrutator (Or, 'But I
Saw It on the
Internet!')
8. Write Right : Seven
Things Not To Do in a
SIGINT Report
9. Write Right :
Breaking an Old
Reporter's Heart
10. Write Right : Where
Does It Say I Can't?
11. Write Right : Urban
Myths of SIGINT: 'I
Can Just Mark It
ORCON'
12. Write Right : Loaded
Words: Don't
Politicize Reports
(that's what keeps ISS Policy Services, SID Policy, and Corporate
Policy so busy). But it must be done in an orderly, accountable
manner to achieve the goal of compliance with all pertinent
authorities.
(U//FOUO) Do you have any thoughts on this topic? Please post
your comments on the SID today blog .
Notes:
* (U) ENLIGHTEN is a long-standing NSA desktop collaboration and
information-distribution system. See the Introduction to
ENLIGHTEN for further info.
** (U) According to the ENLIGHTEN Primer , " The ENLIGHTEN
system is an aid to professionals in doing their jobs. All information
posted on ENLIGHTEN must pertain to Agency-related (official)
business. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS ENLIGHTEN
AUTHORIZED FOR DISSEMINATING PERSONAL OR NON-OFFICIAL
INFORMATION.
"(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