Category: Intelligence

Source: National Security Agency NSA

The National Security Agency’s (NSA) Center for Cryptologic History is pleased to announce the 2023 induction of five major cryptologic figures into the Cryptologic Hall of Honor.
 
This year’s inductees are:

• Evelyn Akeley – Akeley’s impressive record of improvisation in a fast-paced, high-stress environment reflects the finest traditions of the past century of American signals intelligence. Her accomplishments during World War II were exceeded only by those of her students, who broke virtually every Japanese army code they encountered. When she retired in 1958, she was the sixth most senior woman at NSA, outranked only by a group that included future Hall of Honor members Polly Budenbach, Ann Caracristi, Juanita Moody, and Julia Ward.

• James Lovell – William Friedman called Lovell “the [American] Revolution’s one-man National Security Agency.” His pioneering work as a codebreaker and codemaker gave cryptology a singular role in the emergence of our new Nation. Leveraging Lovell’s decrypts, George Washington knew of the approach of a British relief force and was able to warn his French allies, thus enabling a decisive victory at Yorktown. Lovell is a landmark figure in the history of American cryptology and a model for present and future generations.

• Joseph Mauborgne, Major General, USA – MG Mauborgne was a pioneer in numerous areas of communications technology and cryptology, including radiotelegraphy, cryptologic training, cryptanalysis, and cryptography. He is credited as the co-inventor of the One-Time Pad. His leadership and foresight facilitated victory in World War II for the United States and paved the way for future successes. He initiated the first sharing of intelligence between the United States and the United Kingdom, thus beginning the “Special Relationship.” William Friedman cited Mauborgne as the best director the Signal Corps had ever had.

• James Radford – Jim Radford developed Special Purpose Devices that solved intractable analytic problems, often by enhancing the performance of supercomputers by a factor of hundreds. His early projects convinced NSA it was possible to work with contractors securely on sensitive projects, and helped convince contractors it was good business to work with NSA. His innovative thinking at NSA and the Institute of Defense Analyses helped meet the challenges of the communications and computing revolutions of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

• Harry Rashbaum – As a practicing linguist, Rashbaum pioneered the use of computers in developing online working aids to support translation and transcription, as well as using technology to teach language. As a senior linguist in operations, he raised the standards for language analysts, and taught senior leadership how to make best use of their talents. He convinced NSA to improve language promotions and incentive awards, an important factor in recruitment and retention. His publications, and the people he inspired, continue to positively affect NSA language work today.

More information about the 2023 honorees will be released following an upcoming induction ceremony. The next call for nominations will be issued in early 2024, but any individual or group can make a nomination at any time.
 
Individuals or groups nominated for the Cryptologic Hall of Honor must have made a significant contribution through cryptology to America’s national security. This may have been through a single event or a lifetime of superior achievements in cryptology. Individuals who worked for the government must have departed government cryptologic service at least 10 years prior to the nomination. Non-U.S. individuals or groups are also eligible for consideration, and their achievements, too, must have occurred at least 10 years prior to the nomination.
 
Visit the National Cryptologic Museum to learn more about all of the Hall of Honor inductees.
 

Source: National Security Agency NSA

FORT MEADE, Md. — The U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s nomination of U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy D. Haugh to the rank of General and to assume the duties as the Commander, U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), Director, National Security Agency (NSA)/Chief, Central Security Service (CSS).  

Lt. Gen. Haugh is scheduled to assume his new role following a change-of-command ceremony planned for early 2024.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to have the opportunity to lead the incredible workforce of the Command and the Agency as they support the joint force during this decisive decade,” Lt. Gen. Haugh said. “My priorities— people, innovation, and partnerships — will serve as the foundational values to ensure we continue to execute our mission to deliver outcomes against national priorities in foreign intelligence and cybersecurity.”
 
Lt. Gen. Haugh began his Air Force career in 1991, by earning his commission and as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. He currently serves as CYBERCOM’s deputy commander, where he directs, synchronizes, and coordinates cyberspace planning and operations to defend and advance national interests in collaboration with domestic and international partners.

In his nearly 32 years of service, Lt. Gen. Haugh brings a wealth of joint service knowledge and experience to the Command and the Agency from assignments including commander, Sixteenth Air Force, Air Forces Cyber and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, as commander, Cyber National Mission Force, as CYBERCOM’s director of Intelligence, J2, and as the deputy commander of Joint Task Force-Ares.

Lt. Gen. Haugh expressed gratitude toward U.S. Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, Commander, CYBERCOM, Director, NSA/Chief, CSS, for his commitment to the dual-hat mission and workforce under his charge during times of unparalleled global challenges.

“I believe the nation is defended and the future is secured due to his leadership over the past six years,” Lt. Gen. Haugh said. “His loyalty to the nation, duty to the mission, selfless service, integrity and personal courage are admirable.”

Gen. Nakasone expressed that he is fortunate to pass command to a leader who upholds the highest standards of the service and demonstrates immense dedication to the mission.

“Having worked alongside Lt. Gen. Haugh over the past decade, I can personally attest to his steadfast leadership, integrity first mentality, and unwavering sense of duty,” Gen. Nakasone said.

Gen. Nakasone will retire after 37 years of dedicated service to the nation. As Director, NSA/Chief, CSS, Gen. Nakasone leads the nation’s signals intelligence (SIGINT) enterprise ensuring delivery of timely, accurate intelligence insights to warfighters, policymakers, and allies on topics of critical national security importance. As the National Manager for National Security Systems, Gen. Nakasone supports the protection of these systems, the Defense Industrial Base, and U.S. critical infrastructure from cyber threats as well the development of game-changing technologies to provide intelligence advantage.

During his tenure with the Command and the Agency, Gen. Nakasone supported the establishment of CYBERCOM, fostered strategic concepts for cyber operations, and oversaw tighter integration between CYBERCOM and NSA. Additionally, under his leadership the Command and the Agency built closer ties with federal and industry partners. For example, Gen. Nakasone established several NSA organizations, including the Cybersecurity Directorate, the China Strategy Center, and the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, which now has 750 partners across industry and the Defense Industrial Base. Moreover, Gen. Nakasone spearheaded the development of several successful joint CYBERCOM and NSA teams such as the Russia Small Group, China Outcomes Group and the Election Security Group.

Gen. Nakasone has held command and staff positions across all levels of the U.S. Army and the joint force with assignments in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

“Serving the nation alongside the CYBERCOM and NSA/CSS workforce has been the highlight of my career,” Gen. Nakasone said. “I am proud to have worked every day with the very best leaders and talented workforce.”
 
About the National Security Agency:
Founded in 1952, NSA is a U.S. Department of Defense combat support agency and element of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The Agency’s mission is to provide foreign signals intelligence to policymakers and our military, and to prevent and eradicate cybersecurity threats to U.S. national security systems, with a focus on the Defense Industrial Base and the improvement of U.S. weapons’ security. From protecting U.S. warfighters around the world to enabling and supporting operations on land, in the air, at sea, in space, and in the cyber domain, NSA is committed to building public trust through transparency and protecting civil liberties and privacy consistent with our nation’s values.

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NSA Media Relations
MediaRelations@nsa.gov
443-634-0721

Source: National Security Agency NSA

FORT MEADE, Md.–The National Security Agency (NSA) published its 2023 Cybersecurity Year in Review today to share its recent cybersecurity successes and how it is working with partners to deliver on cybersecurity advances that enhance national security. This year’s report highlights NSA’s work with U.S government partners, foreign partners, and the Defense Industrial Base.

“The combined talent of our partners is the greatest competitive advantage we have to confront the increasingly sophisticated threats we see today”- Rob Joyce, Director of Cybersecurity

The Cybersecurity Year in Review highlights NSA’s recent cybersecurity efforts, including:

• Establishing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Security Center.

• Detecting stealthy People’s Republic of China (PRC) intrusions into U.S. critical infrastructure and joined forces with partners (CISA, FBI, NIST, etc.) to expose those intrusions.

• Collaborating with industry, government stakeholders, and academia to modernize cryptography to scale cybersecurity solutions and address the quantum threat.

“Cybersecurity matters. It matters to our partners and it matters to us. It ensures that our information, our intelligence, our knowledge can be shared securely.”- General Paul M. Nakasone, U.S Army; Commander, U.S Cyber Command; Director, National Security Agency; Chief, Central Security Service

This report includes information about NSA’s cybersecurity partnerships and the efforts in building them. This year NSA:

1. Inaugurated the new AI Security Center within the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, which will promote the secure development, integration, and adoption of AI capabilities within National Security Systems (NSS) and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).

2. Scaled NSA’s cybersecurity impact against global threats like Russian cyberespionage malware and malicious cyber activity from the People’s Republic of China together with U.S. and international partners and collaborators.

3. Increased enrollments in NSA’s no cost cybersecurity services to Department of Defense contractors by 400%, hardening infrastructure and strengthening the Defense Industrial Base.

For questions or feedback on the report, contact Cybersecurity@nsa.gov or CybersecurityReports@nsa.gov. For any media inquiries, contact MediaRelations@nsa.gov. 
 
Read the 2023 NSA Cybersecurity Year in Review to learn more.

Source: National Security Agency NSA

FORT MEADE, Md. – In response to an increase in cyberattacks to supply chains over the past five years, including targeted attacks of software supply chains, the National Security Agency (NSA) is releasing the Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI), “Recommendations for Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) Management.” This CSI provides network owners and operators with guidance for incorporating SBOM use to help protect the cybersecurity supply chain, with a focus on and some additional guidance for National Security Systems (NSS).
 
Effective Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) management leverages identification of software components to mitigate cyber risk and support improved cybersecurity throughout the software’s lifecycle. According to the CSI, SBOM management should proceed in three steps. First, examine and manage risk before acquiring software. Second, analyze vulnerabilities after deploying new software. Third, implement incident management to detect and respond to new software vulnerabilities during vital operations.
 
“As Software Bills of Materials become more integral to Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management standards, best practices will become critical to ensuring efficiency and reliability of the software supply chain,” said Rob Joyce, NSA Cybersecurity Director and Deputy National Manager for the National Security System (NSS). “Network owners and operators we work with count on NSA to advise them on shoring up their defenses.  These guidelines provide the information they need to select the appropriate tools to reduce an organization’s overall risk exposure.”
 
This guidance includes recommended SBOM tool management functionality that supports the Director of the NSA in his role as the National Manager for National Security Systems, namely to provide better Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM) for NSS owners and operators. The CSI encourages NSS owners to implement a robust C-SCRM SBOM management strategy that ensures the authenticity, integrity, and trustworthiness of software products.
 
The CSI’s contents draw from NSA sources and analysis, as well as NSA’s partners, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of Management and Budget, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the larger cybersecurity community.
 
Read the full report here.

Visit our full library for more cybersecurity information and technical guidance.

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NSA Media Relations
MediaRelations@nsa.gov
443-634-0721