eOfff ?mRf'f fJcf, 

NSA REGUI.ATION 

NUMBER 122-1 

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY 

Washington 25, D. c. 

25 Februa1"7 1955 

EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1 MARCH 1956 UNIESS SOONER 

RESCINDED OR SUPERSEDED 

PERSONNEL SECURITY 

SECTION 

SUPERSESSION • • • • • • • • • • • • • I 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE • • • • • • • • • • II 

GENERAL. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • III 

SP!IECTION STANDARDS AND CRITERIA • • • IV 

PERSONNEL CIEARANCE. • • • • • • • • • V 

PERSONNEL SUPERVISION. • • • • • • • • VI 

SECURITY EDUCATION • • • • • • • • • • VII 

SUPERVISION. • • • • • • • • • • • • VIII 

SECTION I - SUPERSESSION 

This Regulation supersedes NSA Regulations 122-1, dated 

22 April 1954, 120-3, dated 27 January 1954, and Chapter III of 

the NSA'Security Manual. 

SECTION II - PURPOSE AND SCOPE 

This Regulation prescribes the personnel security standards 

applicable to personnel of the National Security Agency. 

SECTION III - GENERAL 

The nature of the National Security Agency's operation is 

such that all NSA personnel, whether civilian or military~ and 

regardless of the level or nature or employment, are in a position 

to endanger or compromise national security. All NSA positions 

are designated "sensitive positions"; therefore, clearance ot all 

employees or assignees prior to assignment is required. Personnel security does not stop with clearance. Al1 personnel must be 

alert, observant and aware ot the ever present danger of 1nt11-

tration and subversive action. To ins_m:~ this,_ con~inuous ~upervision and education of personne1·are necessary. 

SECTION 'IV - SEIECTION STANDARDS AND CRITERIA 

l. Selection Standards. To meet NSA selection standards an 

individual.: 

CONFIDENTl1\.L 

eclassified and approved for 

elease by NSA on 05-08-2014 

ursuantto E .0. 13526 
· NSA REGUIATION NO. 122-1 25 February 1955 

a. Must be of excellent character and discretion, and of 

unquestioned loyalty to the United States. Exce;ptipns to this requirement may be made only as agreed by uoom. 

b. Should be a native born citizen of the United S·ta.tes. 

If' a citizen by naturaliza·iiion, :rinal papers should be dated prior 

to l September 1939. The members of' his immediate family should be 

United States citizens. 

c. Should be a person, no member 0£ whose immediate family 

nor any person to wham he may reasonably be supposed to be boi.md by 

ties or affection, kinship, or obligation is of dubious loyalty to 

the United States. 

d. Should be a person, no member or whose immediate family 

nor a:ny person to whom he may reasonably be supposed to be boi.md by 

ties of' affection, kinship, or obligation, is a resident of a foreign 

coun"f:;ry having basic 01"' critical national interests· opposed to those 

of the United States. 

2. Exceptions. Exceptions to any of the foregoing requirements, except the f'irst, may be made by the USCIB member o:r a member 

department or agency bUt only in case of compelling need after 

every reasonable assurance has been obtained that, in the circumstances, the security tiak involved is negligible. 

3. WaiV'er o:f: Se ction Standards. It is inevitable that strict 

application o:r paragr one viJ.l bar some individuals o:f great 

talent ~ram duty or aaiociation vith the Agency. Therefore, in cases 

of urgent operational heed exceptions authorized by paragraph tvo 

may be ma.de. When such exceptions are desired, requests shall be 

submitted to the Chief, Security Division, in writing, to include the 

:followinc;: 

a. A statemen~ o:r the unique qualifications possessed by 

the individual in question 

b. A justification, in terms o:r compelling operational heed, 

for accepting the calcuiated risk involved 

c. T.he signature o:r the Chief of' the Staf'f Division ~r 

Office concerned. 

4. Criteria for Detel"fll.ining Eligibility for Clearance. Acceptance 

or retention is baaed on ah evaluation of all available information rew 

garding an applicant or ellIPloyee. '111ere follows a. list, which is not all 

inclusive, of tynea of int'crnq_i·. ion wp.icl1 _ rray indicate thnt an individual' a 

employment or retention is not clcA.rly consistent with the interests or 

National Security: 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

• 
NSA REGUIATION NO. 122-l 25 February 1955 

a. Depending on the 'relatlon of the Government employment to the national security: 

(1) Any behavior, activities, or associations which 

bend to show that the individual ls not reliable 

or trustworthy 

(2) Any deliberate misrepresentations, falslfication,, 

or .omission of material facts · 

(3) Any criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or 

notoriously disgraceful conduct, habitual use of 

intoxicants to excess, drug addiction, or sexual 

perversion 

(4) Any illness, including any mental condition, o~ 

a nature which, in ·the opinion of' competent 

1nedical authority, may cause significant defect 

in the judgmenl; or reliability or the employee, 

with due regard l:.o the ·t;ransient or continuing 

e.ffec t. of' the ilJ.neos and the medical findings in 

such case 

( 5 ) Any :facts which furnish reason to lJelieve that 

·the indivj.dual may be subjected to coercion, 

influence, or pressure which may cause him to act_ 

c!ont;ra.ry to the best interests of the national 

security 

b. Comnd£1sion of any act of sabotage, espionage, treason, 

01 .. sedition, or attempt, ·threat or preparation therefor, or conspiring wiUi, or DJ.ding or abetting another ·t;o connnit or attempt ·to 

connnj t any act of i:1abotage, espionage, ·!;reason, or sedition, 

c. Establishing or continuing a sympathetic a.ssdciatioll 

w:J th a sah.otew.~, spy, traitor, sedi i;ioniQt, anarchist, revolutionisf. 

or 1'1ith an es1l'lonage or other secret agent or represeuta;tive of' a 

foreign nabion, or ru1y representative of a foreign nation whose 

interests may be inimlcal. to the interests or the United States, or 

with any per~on who advocates the use of force or violence to overthrow the government 01' the Unilied States or the alteration of the 

fonn of government o.f the United States by unconstitutional means. 

d. Advocacy of use or force or vtolence to over-l;hrow the 

government or the United Sta.lies, or of the alteration of the form 

of government of the United States by unconstitutional means. 

e. Membership in, or affiliation or s;ympathetic association with, aJ1y foreign or domestic organlzation, association, 

CONFIDENTIAL 
eo?f.PIBBN'f'IAL 

NSA REGULl\.TIOU NO. 122-1 25 February 1955 

movement, group, or combination of persons which is totalitarian, Fascist, CommuniAt, or subversive, or which has adopted, 

or shows, a. policy of advocating or o.pproving the commission or 

acts o~ force or violence to deny other persons their rights under 

the Constitution of the UnHed Sta.tea, or whlch seeks to alter the 

form of' government o.f the United States by unconstitutional means. 

f. Intentional, unauthorized disclosure to any person of' 

security information or of other information, disclosure of which 

is prohibited by law, or will£ul violation or disregard or security 

regulations. 

g. Performing or attempting to perform hls duties, or 

otherwise acting, so as to serve the intereGts or another government in preference to the interests of the United States. 

h. Refusal by the individual, upon the ground of constitutional privilege asainst self-incriminatlon, to testify before a 

congressional committee regaTding charges of his alleged disloyalty 

or other misconduct. 

5. Foreisn Residence. In view of' length o:r time and dif':ricult7 

involved in conducting tnvestigations in 1'orcign countries, no 

persons who have spent long portions of' their lives abroad should 

be considered i'or :NSA employment or assignment Wll.ess the Chief of_ 

the intei·estcd Btaff Dj_vision or 0.f'i'ice provirlcs written jus-t;ification statlng that no other person with the required qualifications 

is available. 

6. Evaluation and Declaration of Ineligibility for Clearance. 

If, after ca.refUl evaluation of all the facts in a. particular co.se, 

doubt exists as to whether the individual's employment or retention 

under the foregoing Selection Standards and Criteria is clearly 

consistent with Jnterest3 of national security, the individual concerned shall not be cleared for access to classified information. 

7. Applicants DiSaPJ2roved for Hire - Reconsideration. When 

the compelling operational need for the qualifications of an individual, whose application .for hire (either permanent, temporary, 

contractor, consultant, or WAE, etc.) has been disapproved for 

security reasons, is deemed sufficient to justify reconsideration, 

the Chief' of the Staf'r Division or Office concerned may resubmit 

the application to the Chief, Security Division, accompanied by 

written justification for reconsideration. 

SECTION V - PERSONNEL CLEARAUCE 

1. Clea.ranee Requirements for Access to COMill'l' i··forma.tion. 

Persons requiring access to COMWT information within the scope 

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CONFIDENTIAL 
NSA REGUIJ\.'l'IOIJ 110. 122-1 25 February 1955 

of this Agency's operation, or o.cccsu to areas in which such informntion is being collected, produced or prepared for dissemination, muat have been cleared and incloctrina.ted for COMJNT. Such 

a clearance o.nd inuoctrination establishes eligibility for access 

to any cntegory of COMDiT the "need to know" requires. In this 

category are all employees or military assignees, a.11 consumers, 

contractors, consultants, advisors and certain custodial person• 

nel. 

2. Clearo.nee Rcquiremcn ta for Access to Classif:l.ed non- COMil~T Information. Persons rcqui.ring access only to non-COMINT 

classlfied ini'o:nnation in the conduct of .their business with 

this Agency require clearance based on investigative requirements 

and to a classification level commensurate with the classification of the information to which they must have access. Employees 

o:f' NSA who are indoctrinated for COMJNT also ho.ve cryptographic 

and Top Secret clearance. 

3. Pre-employment Securit;y: Check. The Chief', Security 

Division, shall be furnished one copy of the "Statement of Personal 

History, 11 (DD Form 398), with NSA Supplement; one "Finger Print 

Chart," (csc Form 87); and four copies of "Security Investigation 

Data. for Sensitive Positions," (csc Form 86). These forms shall 

be completed with no omissions and all periods of time accounted 

for. The Chier, Security Division, shall review these forms for 

completeness and shall make an initial determination that the 

individual meets selection standards. 

4. Pre-employment National Agency Check for Sensitive 

Position. The pre-employment National Agency Checks a.re conducted 

by the Civil Service Cozmnission on all civilian applicants for 

government employment. 

5. Pre-employment Security Interview. A security interview 

by qualified interviewers 1~ required. 

6. Background Investigations. The three milita:i-y services 

and such other components of the Federal Government as have"admin· 

istrative or statutory obligations for the conduct of personnel 

security investigations make the investigations required for the 

clearance of NSA civilian employees. They also conduct the required investigations of military assignees to this Agency and or 

military consumer personnel, but at the request of the service concerned and in accordance with the clearance procedures of that 

service. Civilian consumer personnel and certain custodial personnel are investigated in accordance with the recognized policies of 

the agency, bureau or department concerned. Contractual personnel 

are investigated in accordance with the regulations of the service 

performing the procurement for NSA. 

- 5 - CONFIDENTIAL 
GQIJFIJ:fE:; ':r.i'.1\:L 

USA REGUI,A'l'IC!r no. 122-1 25 February 1955 

7. Clearance of Hilita Ass.i..r,nees and Civilian Assihnees. 

Subject to ic Director's review, ·lle nca s o o 11or ;i;over:nmcn depar·t.inents or aGencies grant. clearances to inili tary or civilian 

personnel provided by Lhcm for NSA duty or adi.1inistrative support,, 

and whenever accesc for their own personnel, civilian or military,, 

to classified ini'ormaLion oi' I:SA is required. 

B. InLcrim Clearance. In rcsponoe to compelline operational 

need, interi.111 clcc:trance raa.y be eranted. As this typo oi' clearance,, 

is ~iven, is prior to tho cornplcl.ion oi' all clearance procedures, it 

should be strictly- limited to cases oi' con:pelling operational need. 

Persons havini::; un inr..erim clearance arc lndocLrinated for and may 

have access to a1.l material avru lablc to persons having a finar 

clearance. The granLinc; of Lhis access hould also be limited to 

compellin~ opera l:iional need and each ccse sl~ould be hand.led on an 

individual baois. Persons hav:Lnr; inLorir.i clearances ldll wear a 

distincti vo bad;::e. Tid s badce will have a ili..aL;onal white bar through 

a dark color field or a d.ia~onal blue bar tilI'ouiYi a light color field. 

9. Involunt.ary ccpnrations. Such separations from this A~oncy 

on security Grounds s!1o.ll uc accompl:tohed in accord,ance ldth the 

1Jrovisions of Executive Order 10h50, P. L. 733 and Civil Service Regulations. W1

1enever military personnel foil to mccli clearance standards which results in denial or revocation of clearance for access to 

this Agency's mal:ierial, the Chief', !li.litary Personnel ['ranch, shall 

be ad.vised immediately to take the necessary act:Lon to return the 

indiv:i.dual to his parent military service. 

10. neinveotic;ation. Four jearo af"Ler the date of last evaluati.on, and ii' t.he need i or clearance still exists, invcstit;al:iions 

shall be reopened to the er.l:ient necessary to brine; t.hem up to date 

and to justify ext.enoion of cled.!'anco. Ii'or this purpose, a new 

Statei .. ent of Personal Jiiotory must be ol?tained and reviewed by the 

Chief, Security Division, as required. 

11. Clear::mcc ::£'cords. 'l'i111 ::sA Security Divi::;ion is the office 

of' record i'or clearances r,rant;ed !:SA personnel und o t.i1cr persons 

pcrforminG services !'or !!SA. 

SECTIOU VI - fji:;~SOII!SL ::,::CL':"'J.T:[ sur:~~VJSIGIT 

J.. Employees ol' the 'Tational ~acuri ty iV·cnc;:i, · ~uwin:i; uccc::;::; to 

somiit.ivf3 cla::rn:i fied r::.atcrial, ;10.ve a ;"'ri~.1c rcc::on:::;::bll:! L;y- to ::;co 

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CONFIDENTIAL 
COlli'IBERffIAii 

NSA REGULATION NO. 122-1 25 February 1955 

that by their actions \.hey do not expose their knowledge of this 

material to persons who could or may use it to the detriment of the 

United State~ Security cannot depend solely on rules and procedures 

t.o ~-;:<mrc Lhat, n1111loycef: rpcoroJize Lhcir j_ndivid.ual responsibiliti.eri. 

Generally, as in any work to be performed by an employee, supervision 1• 

necessary. 

2. The inttial responsibility for the secu1·ity supervision ot 

employees of NSA is placed on the ::Individual employee's 1mrned1a·te 

supervisor. The supervisor ohould be a constant reminder to the 

people under his or her supervision, by example and instruction, ot 

security rules and good security pl.~actices. He should report any 

violation ot personnel security coming to his attention. 

3. Incidents or allegations a.ff'ecting the clearance atatua of 

any other employee should be directly and immediately referred to the 

Chief', Security Division. No eva.l.uation or investigation should be 

made by the person reporting the information. 

4. The overall responsibility for the security supervision of 

NSA personnel including any necessary counter-intelligence measures 

is the responsibility of the Chief', Security Division, and all matters 

relating to Personnel Security should be referred to him. 

5. In carrying out his rcsponsibili ty, t.he Chiei', Security 

Division, is respons:i.ble f'or maintaining liaison with other Federal. 

and local goverr:11nental counter-intelligence, investigative and law 

enforcement agencies. A11 contacts wi·th personnel of other agencies 

on NBA security matters should be made through liaison as es·tablished. 

6. In order ·to assist in the proper supervision of' NS.A. personnel, 

the Chief, Security Div-lsion, shall organize and effectively' use a 

Security Education Program. 

SmTION VII - sroURl"TY EDUCATION 

1. Initial Oric-:.:;;';.~on. 

-- a. Du.ring the new employee's processing (on.his first day of 

duty), a preliminary security briefing will be administered by Civilian 

Personnel Branch, Personnel Division. 

b. All military and civilian personnel entering on duty With 

this Agency w1.ll read Title 18, Section 798, USC, and so certify by 

completing NBA Form Gl971 attached thereto, during initial processing 

into the Agency. '.rtle Chief, Personnel Division, w-111 forward the 

signed certificates to the Chief, Security m.vision, f'or the :f'il.e • 

.. 7 -

CONFIDENTIAL 
eau 1Dl!2ffm. 

BSA. REGULA'rION BO. 122-l 25 February 1955 

2. Security Training - RSA School. 

a. Upon arrival of the new employee or asaignee at the BSA 

School and during the tirat week ot his orientation period, he will 

receive instruction concerning his security responsibility as an RSA 

employee, sound security practices to be observed, and regulations 

governing his conduct while an emp1oyee ot the Rational Security Agenc7. 

b. Administration will be ettected by the HSA. School Statt. 

3. Indoctrination. 

a. Upon the granting ot a clearance, all personnel Will be 

indoctrinated for CCJIINT and subscribe to an .oath of secrecy. Thia 

indoctrination shall include a discussion ot the general mission o~ the 

Agency, with emphasis on the need for sound security practices by the 

ind1Tidual employee, an cxplan9.t1on as to sane ot the possible disastroua 

resul.ts in cases ot violations of security and a reading and explanation 

or such public laws and directives as are applicable to employees or 

this Agency. 

b. Further briefing on the more sensitive phases ot the 

C17Pto1ogic endeavor shall be accomplished by the branch chief or other 

supervisory o:t'f'icer when the individual report!s to his duty assignment 

and will be administered on a need-to-know basis. This brieting shall 

include an explanation ot the particular mission ot the organizational. 

segment and its part in the general cryptol.ogic ettort ot the National. 

Security Agency. Such indoctrination and brie:f'ing will entitle the 

1.Ddividual to access to Category I, II and III C<J.tilfr on a"need-to-kDow" 

basis. 

c. Upon the assignment or a cl.eared individual. to an operational. 

element, RSA. Form Bo. Gl927 will be accanpl.ished 1Dmed1atel.y by the 

Chiet of the Staff Division or Office concerned or his authorized representative and forwarded to the Chief', Security Division. 

Ji.. Con"tinuing Security Education. 

a. 'ro maintain a constant awaren~~ by the individual. empl~ 

or assignee ot his security responsibility, a planned program ot continuing 

security education will be pranulge.ted and administered by the Chiet, 

Security Division. Requests tor talks, lectures or other types of special. 

seclll"'ity education should be directed to the Chief, Security Division. 

b. Beginning 1 J"anuary 1955, al.l cleared c1Vilian employees 

and military personnel assigned to Ste.ff' Divisions and. Offices will be 

re-instructed e.nnunlly na of 1 January of each calendar year on all. 

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CON FIDE NT 11\L 
. . &ONFiltlE NTEf>1;4 

NSA REGUIATION NO. 122 .. 1 2~ February 1955 

phases of on-the-Job security. '!'bis is tbs responsibility of the 

Chiefs of the Ste.f'f Divisions or Of fices concerned. A certificate 

(RCS-276), to the effect tha.t a+l assigned. personnel have been 

re-instructed, will be sent to the Chief, Security Division, no 

later than 31 January of each cale:adar year. 

c. Chiefs of Staff Divisions and Offices are responsible 

tor insuring that all of their personnel undersband the provisions 

of Title 18, Section ~98, USC, e.t all times. 

d. NSA perso.anel who have been assigned to TDY or PCS 

outside the continental limits of the United States will be brieted 

concerning their security responsibility prior to departure for 

overseas areas. 

e. The Chief, Security Division, sl18l.l be notified ot the 

employee's assignment by the Chief ot the Staff Division or Office 

concerned, at least ten days prio1· to the employee rs date ot 

departuro. 

:f. The Chief, Security DivieioQ., will prepare for publf.cat:S.on 

materis.l. concerning security~ Thie material will be disseminated 'U> 

al1 NSA personnel. Reques·l;s tor this type material should be 

directed· to Chief, Security Division. 

g. Visual aids, being an integral pa.rt of a security edu.cat:lon 

program, will be prepared and disseminated on a regula.1• progranl ~sis. 

~. Debrieti~. 

~· Ea.ch person being separated f'rom association with lf8'\ 

abaJ.l be debriefed. 

b. Separation shs.l:f. 1nclu4e, but not be 1:1m.1te4 to tll.e 

following: 

(1) PermaneJl1' ll_,:p!U'ation 

(2) Temporary pepara.tion for 30 days or moi•e due to: 

(a) Personal foreign travel 

(b) Illnees 

(c) Maternity leave 

(d) LWOP for any purpose 

CONFIDENTIAL 
e~Jfd. 

11SA RF.GULATION NO. 122-1 25 February 1955 

(e) 100.ucationa.1 purposes including training under 

Agency sponsorship 

Any requests for exceptions to the debriefing requirement should be 

8.ddressed to the Chief, Security Division, by the Chief ot the staff' 

Division or Office involved. 

I 

) 

c. It sball be the responsibility ot the Chieta ot the Statt 

Divisions and Offices concerned to insure that each person being separated 

f'rcm association report to the Chiet, Security Division, tor debriefing 

prior to departure. Execution of a Debriefing Oath is a pa.rt o't the 

process. 

d. The debriefing shall include a review ot the punitive 

laws concerning the unauthorized disclosure of clasaitied security 

information and the execution of a Debrieting Security Oath. The 

debriefing shall also include an exit interview dur.ing which the 

individual shall be cautioned to continue to report violations ot 

RSA security regulations which may cane to his attention. In the 

case o't military personnel. a copy of the debrieting oath shall be 

torwarded to the parent service whenever assignment to dut1 With BSA 

ceases. 

S:F.X:TIOH VIII - SUPERVISION 

Su-perviaion tor the implementation ot the policies eatablisbe4 

herein is the responsibility ot the Chiet, Secur:l.t1 Division. 

BY C<HWm OF LI:wrENART GENERAL CANmE: 

OFFICIAL: 

• E. 

colonel, AGC 

Ac!Jutant General 

DISTRIBUrION IV 

D. M. AGNEW 

Captain, US Navy 

Acting Chiet of Staff' 

CONFIDENTIAL 

. .