USCIB: 23/59 

Subject: 

Ref"erence: 

mm;mm tteet:Mlfl'a ee1t-

'!AIH SGBK W0R9 Mh'lERliis 

29 liq 1953 

Report ot Ad Boe Camd.ttee m Allied (BATO) 

Camrnm1cations Seourit7. 

USCIB 23/55 dated 20 lfaJ" 19530 

l. USOIB met; in epecial aessian Clll 28 liq 1953 and redeved the r~ ot its ad hoc camd.tt• on the probl• ot 

Allied (NATO) Cawmicatians SeCUl"lt;.y u contained. in the 

reference. The Board accepl;.ed the~. subject to the incorporation ot a fw c:hang• made during the meatingo Cert.ain 

oliher porf:.iODS have been azciaed at the directian ot the Boud. 

2o Nev pages containing these changes and axciaioas &N 

forwarded herewith. It is request.ad that these nev pagea be 

inserted in the subject report; and the aupenecied pages removed and deatrqred. In additicn• page 11 ot the Intl"Oduot1on 

i• \o n a a ... m4 d.eet.l'Ol'..t• 

3. It is particularl1' important. that th•• new pages 

be inserted in the copies ot the report; now in circulaticn, 

prior to the firet •••ion t4 the u.x.-u.s. Conterenceo 

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&lclOBUN 

~ RUPlJS 

~ Lo TAYLOR 

Captain, u. s. Nav 

Executive Secret.arr, USCIB 

New pages 1, 7, 9, and 10 ot Introduction. 

New page 2 of Tab C. 

Nev page 2 ot lbbibit. 3. 

USCIB: 23/59 

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APPENDID DQSUMElf.PS eON-

'l\'\lN eeBi ueRB MAHMA:t 

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Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 07-09-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 

TOP SECRET 
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23-134 

18 Hq 1953 

REPORr fl AD HOC COMMITTD ON EXAMINATION -r1·'I'.~CATIOHS 01 NATO NATIONS 

l. To exm:d.no the aYailable telecommmicaticna trattic ot MATO. 

members in order to :meaaure (a) the inoid.anta of violations of MATO 

commnioationu security regulations; and (b) the extmt ot potential 

damage to US interests :resulting tran leakage ot T&l.uable intormation 

through weak natimal cl'J'Pf;o-SJ8tema and poor conmunicatima aecurit7 prac.-tices. 

EO 3.3(h)(2) 

PL86-36/50 USC 3605 

2. Thia Ccmat.ttee wa eatabliehed at the 82nd meeting ot USCIB 

en 13 Febl'Ual7 19S.3 to exam ne the problem of comunicaticna •ecurit7 

violations b.v' NATO n.-emben. The Ocmnittee tiled a report; dated 

30 April 195.3 which eet. torth certain f'inclinp pert.~ to securit.J' 

the period ot this initial atud;r, arrqmenta were made to hold a 

BRUSA ccmf'eranco en the entire problc ot NATO cOlllllUl'licaticas 

security. With that. tact in mind, USCIB decided at ita 84th meeting 

en 8 ]fq 19.53 that this Camittee should continue 1ta inYeatigaticm . m broader lines which vould include not en~ a conaideratian ot 

security violations but also an ef'tort to det.ermine the extent ot 

potential dama:Je to US interests reaulting tran leakage of 
• REF ID:A586~ 

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appraise. eapec1al.JJ' in hindsight. The Committee has made 

evor,r effort t.o be accurate as well as objective in eyami~ng 

thie traffic but the DUllber ot aaplea found in thie BUl'Ye.1 

cannot; be preaented u an absolute figure. Revert.hele1e • when 

one takes into account the huge number ot meaaagea enurdned by 

all the evaluating agcci• in the coune ot their noi'mal operations during the test. period chose for tide llU1'Y8J' 1 and the 

intenaiTe ettort, an the part ot the representatins ot these 

ag«lciea meeting in ccmd.ttee to 1dent1f7 examples of iDtOl'm&-

ticm leakage injurious to US interests. it ia evident that the 

leakage, imotar aa swmtitr 11 ccmcemed, ia TVJ' mll. 

6. .Doapite the qwmtitat:l.'9'8 1naignit1cance ~the tongoing caaples, the potctial tor da•ge which is inherent in 

the cr.n:>tographic vealmeaa ot eClllfJ ot the •JBtma in use by 

NATO nations naairaa. 'lh1a aun.- baa brought out a reaaoaab]J' 

ccmto1't1ng tact in the amee that, few dnaging aamplea were 

vncovcrod, but this mat be balanced. against th• possib:Uit7 

that at arq mommt aritiaalll' dmaging information coul4 ap=-

paai" 1n the aame tne of traffic. Tbs latter aspect ot t.be 

ait11ation 1• ccmtred in tbe aectian imnediatelJ' 1'olloving. 

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TOP 5EORll SECORI'f! momrfeN eMeE 

-9- PL86-36/50 USC 3605 

E03.3(h)(2) 

7. An ettort- to improYe naticnal cr,pt;ograpbic and ··omJllUDioatiOll9 practicea could reduce appreoiab]3 the total cmmun1-

cat1cns securit.7 problm. under ccns14eration and should be ll&de 

prior to mr et.tort to improve 871fb81118 or to ecourage the use of 

JllOl'e ocmplicated cryptographic equipnent. 

s. A substantial illprovmm.t in the general situation mlgbt 

result tl'Gl1 the inatitutim ot a aecuritJ' demmat1'at1on amoq th• 

NATO ccnmtriea • 

.1. Other conclusicms: - ----

2. ~ lcng u certain KATO countri.es mploJ' weak 01.7"Ptograpb!.c !VBt8113 or "ri.tiate gooc1 Q&tma through poor procedures 

and careless practice,, there 1• a potential tor YG'l7 serious 

damage 'lilether tbrcugh secur1t7 't'iolaticma m: leakage ot Taluable 

inf'ormatim. 

3. !he n:ldmce brought out 1n this :ln'Y88tigat:l.on does not 

indicate that serious daage bu occured. c:lur!ng the period covered 

by this aune7. HOV9Yer, aucb. damage has occurred 1D the put and 

1111Q" occur again in the tutureo 
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REF ID:A586~ 

• SEmil!il" SECD!dft lfiPOBM:tfteB a& 

-10- EG 3.3(h)(2) 

PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

A ccntinuing attort; to anall'•• the c._,m1 oaticms 

and CCPJm.l.nicationa practices ot NATO naticma 1a Dece88&17' and 

ahould be undertaken jointq with the BrJ.tieh. 

pcoMMI!fDAT.!91.f§: 

lo The US-UI authorltiea in NATO should be tullJ' 1ntol'llEld 

ot the security dolaticaa v1tb respect to NATO matt.era tor the 

purpose of developJ.Dg a pl'OgrD ot strict obeervance ot\ the BA'fO 

cGllllliUDi.catione aecurit.y J'8glJ].atima. 

2. An ettort ahauld be mdert,akan jo1ntl1' with the \British 

to improve the natimal c17Phograpbic and cammmtcaticm ir•ctica 

ot the RA'l'O countries bJ" a danonstratiaa ot proper teebn1qu•, •-

planation ot &OUl'ces ot veakneas and other means 

3. Hachiner,r •houl.cl be established jointlJ' with the British 

tor the continuing exawlnatim ot the trattic of RA.TO countries 

and tor the ana]¥8is ot their eaDmicatians practices in order 

to euppleent tbis aurn,r • to judge the effect ot the efforts to 

improve their aecur1t7 and to provide a basis tor Mure action. 
REF ID: ASS 6...i.4 /PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

.-. • EO 3.3(h)(2) 

~ SICDT SBCWttf! BPRIAfieH aMCm 

ot this report;/ were checked bl' the Coumd.ttee um:ler tlie tenia 

ot reference menticaed in Paragraph 1 above. 

(c) The milit&17 repreamtai;ivea on,/the OCIJllD1.ttee 

eubmitted a turther liet. l._ ____ ........... ~o Special. Projec\a 

Statf • Department ot state tor exmninaticn as the damaging 

nature, 1t lrl1', 

3. On the baaie ot investigating the tour categod.• not.ecl 

in the paragraph iraediateq preceding, the Comittee accepted the 

evaluations ot the various special.1st panels to the ettect that 

there war•DJ1l9saages containing 1nto:rmatim whose "lealca&e" to 

the USSR made thea pat.mtialJT damaging to US interest-a. Theo 

messages are l.ieted in &xb~it l at this report.. 

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PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

EO 3.3(h)(2) 

!ABC 
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REF ID:A586...i4 

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PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

EO 3.3(h)(2)