24 

USCIB: 1.3.5/97 

8 February 1955 

8E0Rl!l'P - a.s. EiliS ONM!' 

m.IORANDUM FOR THE MEMBERS OF USCIB: 

Subject: Compromise of CCMINT Codeword. 

Reference: CIBD #9 (Revised) dated 4 February 1954. 

The enclosed. report of compromise of a COMINT codeword due to 

ineffective communications security is circulated for information. 

USCIB 

Enclosure 

NSA Serial 518 dtd 25 Jan 1955. 

USGIB: 13. 5/97 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 02-21-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 

SECRET 
"' •I " 

6EleRET 

REP5~i:59254 

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY 

WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, USCIB 

SUBJECT: Compromise of Codeword 

Serial: 51a 

25 JAN 1955 

1. The incident described in the inclosure has been evaluated 

as constituting a compromise of the codeword involved. 

2. In view, however, of the extreme unlikelihood that an 

additional report would produce any additional pertinent information, 

it is recommended that the final report normally required be waived 

in this case. 

FOR THE DIRECTOR: 

Incl: 

OP-922YB1 Ltr, Serial SY/0692-54, 

Subj: Codeword, possible compromise 

of, 30 Dec 54 

Copy i'umished: 

CNO (OP-92) 

(SIGNED) 

D. M. AGNEW 

Captain, US Navy 

Deputy Chief of Staff 

Enclosure with USCIB 13.5/97 dtd S Feb 1955. 

SECRET 
COi\'FliBBf'.fBhMas 9 2~4 

-

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS 

WASHINGTON 25, D, D. 

From: Director of Naval Intelligence 

To: Executive Secretary, USCIB 

Via: Director, National Sec~rity Agency 

Subj: Codeword; possible compromise of 

Ref: (a) CIBD #9 

Op-922YB1/mdp 

SY/0692-54 

30 December 1954 

1. In accordance with reference (a), the following report of possible 

compromise is made. 

2. A message, originated by Op-922Y, located in the Pentagon, was 

forwarded by teletype to the Naval Security Station, 3801 Nebraska 

Avenue, N.W., via Op-922Yl, located at Arlington Hall. The message 

was classified, "Top Secret U.S. ]\yes Only." The Naval Security 

Station was notified later by Op-922Yl that the Top Secret codeword 

should have been included in the classification and the change was 

accordingly made. A short time later, on 22 September 1954, an 

enlisted operator in Op-922Y called the operator at the Naval 

Security Station on an insecure phone to ascertain if the correction 

had been made. In response to the inquiry the operator at the 

Naval Security Station gave the entire classification of the 

message, including the codeword. 

3, Both operators concerned in the above incident have been 

reprimanded and all personnel connected with teletype operations 

thoroughly reindoctrinated as to procedures to be followed in 

connection with such operations, particularly as to the insecurity 

of present telephone connections and the absolute necessity of 

avoiding conversations which could involve the inadvertent mention 

of classified information. 

(SIGNED) 

Carl F. Espe 

Rear Admiral, USN 

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