NATIONAL  SECURITY  COUNCIL  INTELLIGENCE  DIRECTIVE  NO.   1 1 
SECURITY  OF  INFORMATION  ON  INTELLIGENCE  SOURCES 
AND  METHODS 
(Approved  l/C/50;  SECRET) 
Pursuant,  to  the  provisions  of  Sections  101  (b)  (2)  and  102  (d)  (3)  of 
the  National  Security  Act  of  1947,  as  amended,  providing-  that,  the 
National  Security  Council  shall  consider  policy  on  matters  of  common 
interest  to  the  departments  and  agencies  oi  the  Government  coiiccmed 
witli  national  security  and  shall  make  recommendations  to  the  Presi- 
dent in  connection  therewith,  and  that  the  Director  of  Central  Intelli- 
gence shall  be  responsible  for  protecting  intelligence  sources  and 
methods  from  unauthorized  disclosure,  the  National  Security  Council 
hereby  authorizes  and  directs  that-: 
1.  The  departments  and  agencies  of  the  Government  engaged  in 
intelligence  activities  .shall  take  steps  to  prevent  unauthorised  dis- 
closure of  information  on  Uni'cd  States  intelligence  sources  and 
methods.  Each  agency  \*iil  determine  its  own'  channel  for  authoriza- 
tion to  release  any  such  information.  The  delimiting  nhva.se  "ims).Ii- 
gence  sources  and  methods"  includes  information  ostensibly  overt 
which  requires  security  protc  ".lien  because  of  its  specific  means  of  pro- 
curement or  specific  place  of  procurement,  revelation  of  which  would 
endanger  intelligence  sources  and  methods,  but  the  phrase  docs  not 
include  intelligence  as  such,  the  dissemination  of  which  is  already 
covered  by  appropriate  departmental  and  agency  security  regulations. 
2.  The  Director  cf  Central  Intelligence  shall  coordinate  policies  con- 
cerning the  projection  of  mtelhgcncu  sources  and  methods,  within  the 
limits  establish ra  by  Section  1C2  of  the  National  Security  Act  cf  12-L7, 
except  where  provision  has  already  been  made  by  the  National  Security 
Council. 
3.  Jn  protecting  intelligence  sources  and  methods,  the  Director  of 
Central  .Intelligence  and  the  ether  intelligence  directors  shall  he  guided 
by  the  principle  that  covert  or  sensitive  information,  either  unave.Iuatccl 
or  as  an  intelligence  product,  shall  go  oniy  to  those  whose  official  duties 
require  sucJ  i  knowledge. 
•  4.  In  order  to  protect  intelligence  sources  and  methods  further,  any 
reference  to  the  Central  Intelligence  Agency  should  emphasize  its 
duties  as  the  coordinator  of  intelligence,  rather  than  its  secret  intelli- 
gence activities.  2\To  reference  will  be  made  to  tin's  agency  whatsoever 
unless  it  is  unavoidable,  of  course.
(Page  1) 
NATIONAL  SECURITY  COUNCIL  INTELLIGENCE  DIRECTIVE  NO.  11 
SECURITY  OF  INFORMATION  ON  INTELLIGENCE  SOURCES 
AND  METHODS 
(Approved  1/6/50;  SECRET) 
Pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  Sections  101  (b)  (2)  and  103  (d)  (3)  of 
the  National  Security  Act  of  1947,  as  amended,  providing  that  the 
National  Security  Council  shall  consider  policy  on  matters  of  common 
interest  to  the  departments  and  agencies  of  the  Government  concerned 
with  national  security  and  shall  make  recommendations  to  the  Presi- 
dent in  connection  therewith,  and  that  the  Director  of  Central  Intelli- 
gence shall  be  responsible  for  protecting  intelligence  sources  and 
methods  from  unauthorized  disclosure,  the  National  Security  Council 
hereby  authorizes  and  directs  that: 
1.  The  departments  and  agencies  of  the  Government  engaged  in 
intelligence  activities  shall  take  steps  to  prevent  unauthorized  dis- 
closure of  information  on  United  States  sources  and 
methods.  Each  agency  will  determine  its  own  channel  for  authoriza- 
tion to  release  any  such  information.  The  delimiting  phrase  "intelli- 
gence sources  and  methods"  includes  information  ostensibly  overt 
which  requires  security  protection  because  of  its  specific  means  of  pro- 
curement or  specific  place  of  procurement,  revelation  of  which  would 
endanger  intelligence  sources  and  methods,  but  the  phrase  does  not 
include  intelligence  as  such,  the  disseminaton  of  which  is  already 
covered  by  appropriate  departmental  and  agency  security  regulations. 
2.  The  Director  of  Central  Intelligence  shall  coordinate  policies  con- 
cerning the  protection  of  intelligence  sources  and  methods,  within  the 
limits  established  by  section  102  of  the  National  Secur'ty  Act  of  1947, 
except  where  provision  has  already  been  made  by  the  National  Security 
Council. 
3.  In  protecting  intelligence  sources  and  methods,  the  Director  of 
Central  Intelligence  and  the  other  intelligence  directors  shall  be  guided 
by  the  principle  that  covert  or  sensitive  information,  either  unevaluated 
or  as  an  intelligence  product,  shall  go  only  to  those  whose  official  duties 
require  such  knowledge. 
4.  In  order  to  protect  intelligence  sources  and  methods  further,  any 
reference  to  the  Central  Intelligence  Agency  should  emphasize  its 
duties  as  the  coordinator  of  intelligence,  rather  than  its  secret  intelli- 
gence activities.  No  reference  will  be  made  to  this  agency  whatsoever 
unless  it  is  unavoidable,  of  course.