S"J.A.NDARD FORM NO. 64 

UNITED STATES GOVERN1\1ENT 

TU S/ASST D:\TL: 13 .July 1953 

FHO\f P/P 

~t'Cl.JEC:'I: NSC COMSEC Directive No. 1 

1. The inclosuree were receiTed !roll you with a request tor sy- co.aents on 

certain portions ot the dratt DirectiTe, as aaended by the Lq ca.mittee. 

2. Ky com.ents were coordinated with C/~ on 10 July 1953, and those conments 

then were considered by representatives of C/SFr., a/D, and P/P in the preparation 

ot a draft memorandum to NSC. The draft memorandum was discuseed on that date in the 

meeting ~ended by you, C/SFJJ and his representatives, and a representative of this 

division. 

3. The inclosures are returned tor your file. The 11.emorandlim to NSC vill be 

forwarded to you separately in final form. 

2 Incle: 

Dra.tt NSC COMSEC Directi Te No. l 

HSC Memo, 23 June 53, with incl. 

~~~ Acting Chiet 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 02-06-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 
REF ID:A72351 

CQ!MNT§ OR MAfT l'lOPOpD NSC DIRWTIVE ON COM§EC, .DATED 23 Jmg; 

A. Important i t•ac 

l. Page 6 paragraph 2&. Ths Secretary or Defense is designated, in this 

Teraion, as Executive Agent or USCSB rather than of the Govsrrun.ent. 1hia suggests 

an idea for e. "W&Y out of much of our dti'ficultiee. Under the set up a11 proposed, 

SICIEF is both above and below the Board. Tfo ex•outes their policies, and praeumably 

i£ he doesn •t like them., be dons hif!I Special Coimrdttee hat. and changes them. It i• 

•uggested that serious conrlderat.ion be given to designating the Director, NSA as 

Executive Agent for the Board in coo:gc matter•. In actuality he will be anyhow. 

He could etill perforn his functions, with reeq>ect to the Military Department!S, midar 

th• immediate direction of the Joint Cbiete of start .. 

2. Page 7 paragraph (1) (a), (1) (b) 1 page ll paragraph (.3). Intrtead of 

repe&tinc: "subject to review by" the Board in •Vent ot diagreeinent", a. phraes which 

appears soMvhat undiplomatic, suggest an additional. paragra)lh be added on Jl&i• 13 

as paragraph 3e which read• somewhat &If f ollovs: 

•In any instance where exception ie taken to an action or decision of tha 

Director, NSA, the Secretary of a dep&rtmont or the Haad or Director of an agency may 

aubnit the matter to the Board for reviewtt. 

J. Page 7 P&r8'1'•Ph (1) (a) and (1) (b). Thia version completely deletes 

tw of the mat important functions of th& Director, .KS.A., in the COMSEC field - thoee 

of prescribing the cryptoprincipl•1 inoorporat9d or- to be inoorporat9d and o£ 

pre1crib1ng the cryptosecurit;y rules, reiUJ.ationa and instruction• for the operation 

and uae of cryptoeystema. It i• vital to a auccealf'ul COMSEC charter that there ba 

a cent:rallsed authority tor det~iDg thes& mattft'e and !or approving auch matters 

submitted by other Departments and Agencies. Tlllagine the Board attempting to settle 

the AJ'SAM 7 - OSAM 47 controverey, the Mmarity of AJAX, or the AFSAM 9 - CSP 2308 

problem on the b&ais of a technical oonaidera.tion o! the cryptopr1nciples. 
REF ID:A72351 • 

4. Psge 9 pe.racra.ph (f). Under the wrding as giv.n, th• Board could inaiat 

on oonsid.ring fl'ler'l little program tor production and procurement. Suggest a 

rewordinc aa follovs: 

(f) 11 0btain froa the departments and agencies thsir requira~tg f'or 

crypto-equipments and materials, and, 1D conaonance with policies of the Board, 

eatablillh integrated programs for the production and procurement thareor.11 

5. Page 9 paragraph (g). SUggest a co:mplet& rewite of this paragraph, as 

!olloW'JU 

"Establieh and conduct a COMSEC remearoh end development program, delepting 

euch research and develo};dMlnt projects as may be more e1'£ect1valy eo performed to 

other dep&rtmen't2' and agenoi••J reviev and approve all cryptosecurity research and 

development :pt-ograml!!I eltablitihed or to be established by other departments and agencies; 

integrate the progre.:ina established by other departments and agencies and thoae 

conducted by NSA into an overall research and devslopment program designed to achieve 

a s&tiafactory state or crypto .. curity £or the departnumta and agencies of the 

eo~t. Subject to prior approval by the Director, NSA, other dapartmants and 

ageneiea u,y establieh and pureue web reaearch and development as may be naoes81J7 to 

l'Upport their own cryptosecurity activitie11.1t 

6. Page 10 paragraph (h). Compatibility of crypto-equipmente and materials 

among themaslvos auat obviously uiet or they \IOn 1t opat'a.te. 1llat is meant here i• 

ata.ndardisation or materials. Th• word "production" ahould alllO be added, in the 

first ftlltenae, etter the word proci.n-eaent. 

7. Th• complete .!'unction ot proTiding the e.otual oryptomat.riala, ae. given 

in paraaraph (h) page 6 ot the draft charter dated ;3 Misrch, 1953 ha• bHn deleted. 

Coneider thia important function ahould 'be epelled out, either ae an additional 

ffntence in front of the preeent paragraph (1) on page- 10, or preferably as • new 

parap-aph (5) on page ll •Production and Procurement•. lll.th nspeot tQ pqpJO 

r' 'ti 

2 ' 
-uHAff • REF ID:A72351 

p&r&ll'&ph (1), the Comptrollei-, liSA abould comment on the dssirabllit}" or BSA 

1'urnilhing eerrtoe1 and Ql7ptoa&terials to tha other departmente and agonci•a ~ 

on a rebt.buraable ba&da. Such a procedure will a.rt.inly involve lets or red tape. 

The question of how available tor re-use is 'IDOney obtained e.s reimbursement to NS.A 

for aervices and materials provided is one for the Comptroller to consider. 

B. Minor items: 

1. Page l line 1. ~ -was Section 2ll o! th• National Security .A.at of 1947 

deleted"' Beli.•ve it appears in NSCID No. 9. 

2. Page 4 pe.ragr8ph (2) line 8. SUg&cst the word "study" be changed to 

3. Page 5 para&raph (7) is a newly e..dded par~aph which spell.a o\lt the 

Board's control over the SECDE1. Again it wuld be more appropriate !or DlltECTOR, HS.A 

to be the ExecutiTe A&ent. 

4. Pai• 6 line J parenthetical expreesion. In vie'W of the ineluaion of th• 

Secretary of the Treal'Ul'y and the Chairman, .AEC on pag& l of the propo8ed charter, 

should tha'j" al.80 be included in the p&renthesez? 

;. Pa&e a parail"&ph {d). lohat is the authority granted tha Director of 

Central Irlt.iligence under NSCID No. 5? 

6. Page 9 paragraph e. Should NS! attempt to achieve ar.y revieving 

authority for cryptoaacurity training conducted by depa.rtmentm and agencies? 

·~~lr.T 

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