• TENTATIVE ,,, 

'fOF SEORffi' 5Eiffi:JRI'i'¥ INFORUh'.HON ij Is I ~ OMU 

SUBJECT NUMBER 

USCIB: 13.5/2 

Subject: 

Item 6 of the Agenda !or the Sixth Meeting of 

USCIBEC, held on 20 August 1953. 

Compromise o! CClMINT Information (USCIB 13/358). 

The CHAIRMAN explained that he had made the proposal contained in 

USCIB 13/358 in an effort to bring under control the increasing number 

o! security violations which were being reported. He said that 

comments which he had already received revealed that paragraph 6a o! 

his paper should be amended. He suggested the following rewording: 

"With the view to providing expert advice and assistance to those 

member departments and agencies which do transmit undisguised COMINT 

by electrical means and in collaboration with the member department 

or agency concerned, immediately conduct an examination of the cryptosystems, procedures, practices and training programs used by such 

member department or agency !or the purpose stated. (Nothing in this 

paragraph is intended to imply the right of inspection without consent 

of the member department or agency concerned.)" 

MR. GODEL moved that action on the paper be def erred pending 

issuance of the COMSEC Directive which was present]Jr under consideration by the NSC Planning Starr. 

The CHAIRMAN said that General Canine had also suggested to him 

that action be held up until the matt~r of the COMSEC Directive was 

settled. He pointed out, however, that the directive in question 

would not apply to COMINT unless it specifically so stated, and went 

on to say that he considered the COMINT security situation serious 

enough to warrant the most expeditious action possible. The action 

proposed in his memorandum, he said, was in reality an Executive 

Secretary matter; however, due to the !act that his office was not 

staffed to handle the problem, he thought the matter should be placed 

in the hands of the Director, NSA. 

MR. PACKARD recognized this as a critical problem and recommended 

approval or USCIB 13/358, with or without the change to paragraph 6a. 

USCIB: 13.5/2 - 14 -

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 05-12-2014 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 
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USCIB: 13.5/2 

LT. COLONEL LONG said that he looked at the paper differently, 

pointing out that the Army had rather strict regulations pertaining to, 

for example, inspections or crypto centers on a semiannual basis. He 

said that the Army inspectors were expert in the field and could be 

relied upon to discover and correct insecure standards and procedures. 

He concluded by expressing his view that the Executive Secretary had 

extended himself in no little way in making the proposals contained in 

the paper before the Committee. 

The CHAIRMAN, referring again to the seriousness of the situation, 

pointed out the advantages of a program such as he had recommended, and 

said that to him the unwillingness or a member organization to participate indicated a lack of seriousness or purpose in the matter. He 

stated further that he believed he has a full appreciation of the 

command and administrative responsibilities of the individual members, 

but that he did not reel he could discharge his own duties as USCIB 

Security Officer without urging that positive and effective action be 

taken. He added that he believed a reasonable solution could be 

reached and that anything short of a strict surveillance and disciplinary program would not suffice. 

LT. COLONEL LONG assured the members that there was no intent on 

the part of the Army to appear reluctant to improve communications 

security. He added that he was prepared to recomrnend certain amendments to the proposed procedure which, if accepted, would make the plan 

acceptable to the Army. 

There followed a discussion as to whether the paper should be 

considered at this meeting, or deferred until decision was reached on 

the COMSEC Directive. It was ultimately agreed that the paper would be 

considered further at the next regular meeting o! the Committee. 

DECISION: (20 August 1953) USCIBEC agreed to defer consideration of· 

USCIB 13/358 until the next regular meeting, by which time it is 

expected that definitive action will have been taken by NSC with regard 

to the directive pertaining to COMSEC. 

This item to remain on the agenda. 

USCIB: 13.5/2 - 15 -

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