Category: Intelligence

Source: National Security Agency NSA

As construction continues on NSA/CSS Washington’s (NSAW) East Campus, hundreds of native trees have been planted as part of the agency’s reforestation effort.

Reforestation is the process of planting new trees in areas that have been disturbed by construction, or where there were few trees initially. The construction of East Campus required the removal of many trees that had been part of the site, in order to construct the utility infrastructure, as well as the new buildings on site.

This reforestation effort is driven by NSA’s Environmental Management System Policy, which states that the Agency is committed to the establishment and maintenance of world-class environmental, safety, and occupational health programs, and that these programs are designed to protect the environment and health of the workforce, customers, and communities.

“We believe it is important to be a good neighbor, so we worked to incorporate the requirements of the Fort Meade forest policy into our site layout and construction,” said Matthew Boren, chief of the Military Construction (MILCON) office within NSA’s Installation and Logistics (I&L) organization.

Reforestation has benefits to both the environment and to the workforce.

Environmentally, it improves and expands the natural habitat of birds and animals. A large portion of the reforestation occurred along the Midway Branch, where the reforestation trees expand the stream buffer and ensure that development does not encroach on the stream. Additionally, the trees help reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from the site, as well as improve the quality of stormwater that does leave. In turn, that protects the Little Patuxent and the Chesapeake Bay and the quality of those waters.

Reforestation replants trees in a more natural environment and in larger numbers. This is different from landscape trees, which are standalone and singular in nature and do not provide the same habitat features, or quantity of stormwater support.

To grow these reforestation areas, MILCON office partners with Occupational Health and Well-Being Services to enhance the NSAW campus, adding shade, storm water management, and improving the well-being of the workforce by creating a more relaxed atmosphere, according to Williams.

Both the reforestation areas and landscape trees require care and maintenance, from normal mulching to evaluation by an arborist. Whether it is a new tree that does not thrive or an established tree that is causing issues for the surrounding forestation, they may need to be trimmed or replaced.

I&L tries to plant a new tree somewhere close to the original spot, but in a better location, whenever one is removed.

“Our goal is to be a great place for the next generations of Agency employees,” Boren added.

Interested in learning more about joining NSA’s mission? Visit NSA.gov/Careers for more information. 

Source: National Security Agency NSA

The early 1950s saw the dedication of two new organizations headquartered less than 10 miles apart: NSA and the Friendship International Airport — now Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Nearly eight decades later, the partnership between these organizations is expanding in a new way.

Earlier this week, Agency leaders traveled to BWI for a first look at a newly installed wall display illustrating NSA’s unique support to the Armed Forces through declassified archival imagery. This first-of-its-kind exhibit highlights the SIGINT work of the Agency and its predecessors during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

“My grandfather served in WWII on the Red Ball Express, I had an uncle who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and as a combat contingency deployer of 14 times throughout my 27 years in the military, it’s always good to see representation on the wall,” CMSgt Kenneth Bruce, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of USCYBERCOM and Senior Enlisted Advisor of NSA/CSS, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Located in BWI’s Honor Flights corridor, the display welcomes and honors active-duty military and veterans arriving at the airport. According to Bruce, it’s important to increase awareness of NSA’s history as a combat support agency providing SIGINT and cybersecurity insights to military operations around the world.

“We’re very appreciative of what this represents and what NSA has represented to our Nation,” Chief Bruce said on behalf of the nearly 17,000 members of the Central Security Service, who ensure the warfighter is integrated into what NSA does on a daily basis. “As these honor flights come in to BWI and thousands of service members walk through these hallways, they’ll always have a reminder of what they do and why they do it.”

A team representing organizations across the Engagement & Policy Directorate worked for five years collaborating to ensure the design, content, and delivery was as impactful as possible in demonstrating NSA’s long-standing support to the U.S. Military, according to Stephanie Bartolowits, chief of Information Management and the project originator. The display supports the Director of National Intelligence’s Transparency Initiative and fulfills NSA’s responsibility to declassify and disseminate materials to the public.

“We try to do a transparency project every year as an Agency to be forward-leaning, to share with the public what we do,” Bartolowits said. “We’re hoping some of these service members will be able to walk by here, recognize themselves and see these things, and know that we really appreciate them.”

This exhibit opened less than two years after NSA launched its first-ever recruitment display at the airport, which is home to the Nation’s largest USO lounge and sees more military members traveling through than any other airport, according to Bartolowits.

Maryland Aviation Administration CEO Ricky Smith said the partnership between BWI and NSA represents a “rich family” of Maryland-based institutions that serve the American people. “To have you present at this airport and to be able to showcase the value you bring to the community is a pleasure,” he said.

According to Engagement & Policy Director Sheila Thomas, the NSA-BWI partnership is natural.

“Support to military is in our core, our ethos. I can’t tell you how much it means to see this in a public arena,” she said. “This will continue on well past us, and that’s really something that’s remarkable, something we can be so proud of.”
 

Source: National Security Agency NSA

The life and legacy of one of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Hall of Honor cryptanalysts was recently recognized at the National Cryptologic Museum (NCM). Nearly 70 current and former NSA employees along with NSA organizers, gathered for an afternoon of reflection and fellowship to honor cryptologic giant, Minnie Kenny.
 
Kenny started at the NSA’s predecessor agency in 1952 as a Communications Clerk. At the time, there were very few African Americans in that role. Kenny quickly excelled in language, traffic analysis and cryptanalysis. She rose through the ranks at the Agency, working at an elite “think tank” studying the future of cryptanalysis. Kenny served as Deputy Commandant of the National Cryptologic School and made her mark as a leader along the way.
 
The NCM was the backdrop for fellowship amongst the Phoenix Society members and the current workforce. Organizers say the event, “preserves the connection between former and current cultural influencers with an eye on the path laid for future generations at NSA.”
 
Kenny was known for leaving a red carnation on the desks of managers and employees she felt were doing a good job. So it was only fitting that organizers of the memorial event wore red as a representation.
 
Kenny’s impact is still felt within the agency. She influenced the career of NSA Chief of Staff, Marlisa Smith who said, “Her name speaks for itself. When you say Ms. Kenny’s name you are just in awe of her.” During the event, Smith told the story of being a very young person at the agency and being scared to approach Minnie Kenny. “When you did approach her, you got that warmth and you knew she really cared about the workforce”.
 
Former NSA Chief of Staff Ernie Green was also in attendance. He recalled walking in the halls of NSA and getting bumped by a woman who said, “I don’t know you.” That woman was Minnie Kenny. Green said from that point on, Kenny took him under her wing, taking him to Washington D.C., introducing him to influential lawmakers. Green talked about Kenny’s passion of furthering the mission to help elevate African Americans in the agency.
 
Another Cryptologic Pioneer, Lillian “Lil” Berry said, “The thing that impressed me most about Minnie Kenny was how she pushed us to do our best. How she encouraged us to get our education. She pushed us. The best thing is, she encouraged you to bring your families in, and we have three generations of my family here today.”
 
Other attendees, including Kenny’s former receptionist told the crowd funny anecdotes about Kenny, from how she liked her coffee to that overseas trip where her luggage was lost…twice.
 
Those in attendance had the opportunity to view the grounds of the future building named the Kenny Center, in her honor. The 700,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed in 2028. The Kenny Center will provide a modern platform to support Information & Intelligence Analysis (IIA) for NSA and the Intelligence Community (IC).
 
Guests concluded the afternoon with a tour of the National Cryptologic Museum, given by NSA Historian Dave Hatch. Attendees toured the tribute to Minnie Kenny and other Women in Cryptology, who were ahead of their time.
 
The overall theme of the day was honoring Minnie Kenny, the contributions she made, the influence she had and the legacy she left.
 
Guests left with red carnations, a fitting end to honor a life well lived.

The National Cryptologic Museum is the only fully public museum in the Intelligence Community and is now open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and no reservations are required — click here for more information about the museum or to start planning your visit!

Source: National Security Agency NSA

“Best day of my life!” One Scout exclaimed as he left the National Cryptologic Museum’s (NCM) annual event on Saturday March 2nd, 2024.

Rain couldn’t damper things for the scouts and their families as the event drew a near record number of attendees with more than 650 people coming through the doors of the NCM in just six hours.

The NCM’s Scout Day was open to scouts and their families all over Maryland and beyond, with some even traveling more than two hours to take part in the festivities. Activity stations ranged from fingerprinting and robotics, to invisible ink and a scavenger hunt. With activities set up throughout the museum, kids and their parents had the opportunity to take in all kinds of lessons. In addition to cipher wheels and decoding encrypted messages, they learned about language, cryptology and the history of coding during slavery.

Scouts could earn a Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge after completing tasks that showed what it was like to live with visual, hearing and physical impairments.
 
Scout leaders say events like this help their scouts see the bigger picture.

“People just don’t realize all the way from Hobos to Space Shuttle, to Military to State secrets, code has been around since the Egyptians,” said Stan Zdun, Scoutmaster for Troop 249 in Edgewater, Md. “Since the beginning of time,” he added.
 
Jennifer Wilcox, the museum’s Director of Education, and her staff prepared for the event for months. She said that this year’s Scout Day was one of, if not the most successful to date.

The National Cryptologic Museum is the only fully public museum in the Intelligence Community and is now open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and no reservations are required — click here for more information about the museum or to start planning your visit!

Source: National Security Agency NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) Research Directorate recently selected “Uninvited Guests: Analyzing the Identity and Behavior of Certificate Transparency Bots,” as the winner of its 11th Annual Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper Competition.

The winning paper, authored by Stony Brook University researchers Brian Kondracki, Johnny So, and professor Nick Nikiforakis, examined a study of automated attacks on new webservers, and explored how a web browser can trust an organization’s publicly issued cryptographic credentials. At the heart of their investigation was a simple question: What happens when you setup a new encrypted website?

“This paper was selected as the winner because the researchers performed high-level, clearly written, and impactful science,” said NSA’s Director of Research, Gil Herrera. “It is the cutting-edge and relatable research that has made the paper stand out as the winner of this year’s competition.”

NSA’s Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research established the annual Best Cybersecurity Paper Competition in 2013 to encourage the development of scientific foundations in cybersecurity, and to support the enhancement of cybersecurity within devices, computers, and systems through rigorous research, solid scientific methodology, documentation, and publishing. Herrera, along with NSA cybersecurity experts and external authorities in the field, selected the winning paper from 30 studies nominated by the public on the Science of Security website.

The winning researchers studied autonomous systems which probe newly instantiated encrypted websites. They identified 105 malicious security bots attempting to perform nefarious actions such as data exfiltration, reconnaissance, and vulnerability exploitation. They also identified security systems examining sites to identify new phishing attacks. These profiles provide new insights into these autonomous actions happening on the Internet. This data can be used by both system administrators and developers to protect systems from compromise.

The research team collected this data by creating the Certificate Transparency Honeypot (CTPOT), a system that obtains new certificates and monitors web bots for potential targets. CTPOT allows researchers to trick web bots, isolate them, and identify if they are malicious.

“Beyond the technical merit of this paper, this paper is noteworthy because the high quality of documentation allows for others to verify and build upon this research advancement,” said Adam Tagert, Technical Director of NSA’s Science of Security Initiative. “Clear and available documentation are key components for advancing science, a primary goal of the NSA Science of Security Program”

Nominations are now open for the 12th annual Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper Competition. NSA welcomes nominations of papers published in 2023 in peer-reviewed journals and technical conferences that show an outstanding contribution to cybersecurity science. Winners will be announced at the end of 2024.

Visit the Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper webpage for more information on the competition and to nominate a paper.
 

Source: National Security Agency NSA

On December 7, 1941, Japanese naval aircraft swept in on an unsuspecting US Pacific Fleet and Army in the Hawaiian Islands and destroyed many American ships and aircraft. In a little over two hours, 18 warships—including eight battleships—and over 160 aircraft were knocked out of action. With Japan’s eastern flank secured, its forces would rampage through the rest of the Pacific virtually unopposed.
 
Within days of the disaster, calls resounded from the public, press, and the government itself for an investigation into how and why such an event could occur. To many, it was not just the magnitude of the defeat, but the extraordinary unpreparedness of U.S. forces in Hawaii: Someone had to pay.
 
However, fixing responsibility for the debacle at Pearl Harbor was complicated by the revelations about the MAGIC decrypts. MAGIC was the cover name assigned to the intelligence garnered from the decryptions and translations of Japanese diplomatic messages.
 
From September 1940 until the attack on Pearl Harbor, American cryptologists had read the most sensitive Japanese diplomatic messages and had kept President Franklin Roosevelt informed of every Japanese diplomatic and political policy turn. But MAGIC didn’t tell Roosevelt and other government leaders what the Japanese military was planning — that information was in Japanese Navy communications, and those ciphers and codes had largely resisted the efforts of American cryptologists to break them. Any investigation of the Pearl Harbor disaster would be as much a revelation of what we didn’t know as of what we did know.
 
The issue of culpability would not be settled in one investigation, and for many people it was never really settled at all. Ultimately, eight hearings would be held during World War II and after, culminating in a joint congressional investigation beginning on November 15, 1945. What follows is a brief summary of each.
 
The Roberts Commission, December 18, 1941-December 23, 1942: This commission, set by presidential executive order, was charged to determine the facts of the Japanese attack and establish if any dereliction of duty had occurred. MAGIC was discussed, but who received it and the details of the reports were not covered. Not surprisingly, the hearings were hostile to the area commanders, General Walter Short, USA, and Admiral Husband Kimmel, USN. The major political and military figures in Washington were exonerated.
 
The Hart Inquiry, February 15, 1944-June 15, 1944: The Navy Department ordered Admiral Thomas Hart, former commander of the Asiatic Fleet, to conduct a one-man inquiry on Pearl Harbor so that important testimony would not be lost by hazard of war.
 
The Army Pearl Harbor Board, July 20, 1944-October 20, 1944: In response to an act of Congress on July 13, 1944, the Army’s adjutant general convened hearings which took testimony from 151 witnesses. MAGIC evidence was taken only during the last week of the hearings. Surprisingly, and perhaps because radio intercept information was downplayed, the board censured Generals George Marshall and Leonard Gerow (War Plans Division) for not fully advising General Short of the situation vis-a-vis Japan.
 
The Naval Court of Inquiry, July 24, 1944-October 19, 1944: A court of inquiry was convened in response to the same congressional act of July 13, 1944. The hearings made full use of MAGIC, though the testimony on it was classified and kept from the public. The findings of the inquiry completely exonerated Admiral Kimmel. Instead, Admiral Harold Stark, chief of naval operations at the time of Pearl Harbor, was blamed for failing to adequately advise Kimmel of the critical situation prior to the attack.
 
The Clausen Investigation, November 23, 1944-September 12, 1945: By personal direction of the secretary of war, a one-man inquiry conducted by Major Henry Clausen was detailed to obtain testimony to supplement the Army Board’s completed investigation.
 
The Hewitt Inquiry, May 14, 1945-July 11, 1945: Similar to the Clausen investigation, the Navy secretary ordered Admiral Kent Hewitt to continue the naval inquiry.
 
The Clarke Investigation, September 14-16, 1944 and July 13, 1945-August 4, 1945: The secretary of war ordered Colonel Carter Clarke, head of the Military Intelligence Division, which, in turn, oversaw the army’s COMINT efforts, to investigate the handling of communications by the military intelligence division prior to Pearl Harbor.
 
On November 15, 1945, the Joint Congressional Committee Investigation into the Pearl Harbor disaster held its first session. Established by a Joint Congressional Resolution, this investigation promised to be the most thorough possible. The Truman administration released all of the relevant classified documents, including the MAGIC translations. All of the participants that were still alive, with the exception of the seriously ill Secretary of War Stimson, were examined.
 
In 1946, the committee’s findings were released in 40 volumes. A single volume report contained 12 findings that apportioned the blame among all the principals: Hawaiian area commanders as well as the War and Navy Departments. A minority report also censured President Roosevelt but concluded, like the majority findings, that Secretary Stimson, Secretary Knox, Generals Marshall and Gerow, and Admiral Stark, as well as General Short and Admiral Kimmel, were culpable for the disaster.
 
The hope that the investigations would finally determine who was responsible was never fulfilled.
 
Although many figures in Washington were blamed, Kimmel and Short would bear the onus for the disaster. But the fifty years following the investigations would see a stream of “revisionist” histories and rationalizations for the major figures, such as Admiral Kimmel. Conspiracies to suppress intelligence by Churchill, Roosevelt, and others would be “exposed,” and historians would “discover” new intelligence that existed which would have saved Pearl Harbor.
 
However, the phoenix-like nature of the Pearl Harbor controversy proved only what one of Admiral Kimmel’s lawyers wrote to him in 1953: “Pearl Harbor never dies, and no living person has seen the end of it.”

Source: National Security Agency NSA

The Morrison Center, constructed on the National Security Agency (NSA)/Central Security Service (CSS) Washington East Campus, has received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification — the first project on the campus to earn the designation.

“The Morrison Center demonstrates that innovative design, functionality, and environmental stewardship can coexist harmoniously to create exceptional spaces for the benefit of both people and the planet,” said Randy Westfall, chief of Installations & Logistics (I&L).

Recent awards bestowed upon one of NSA’s newest buildings is further cementing NSA’s Military Construction (MILCON) team as a leader in sustainable and innovative builds.

“Obtaining LEED Gold is a notable achievement, demonstrating that our next-generation operational mission space has been built with attention to both the workforce space and the larger environmental impact of our expansion,” said Jeffrey Williams, the environmental engineer responsible for East Campus sustainability.

Williams noted that the accolades not only highlight the building’s outstanding design and functionality, but also demonstrate NSA’s commitment to environmental stewardship and efficient resource management. “The Morrison Center boasts state-of-the-art insulation, high-performance windows, and efficient HVAC systems to minimize energy consumption and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

LEED certification is the premier, globally recognized symbol of sustainable building design and construction. While all the buildings on East Campus are built to be LEED Silver, the Morrison Center is the first NSA-owned building to achieve LEED Gold, according to Williams. This certification signifies that the Morrison Center meets stringent criteria for energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable site development, he said.

The facilities throughout the building feature low-flow fixtures to significantly decrease water usage, as well as use of water from the reclaimed water system in industrial sources, promoting responsible resource management, Williams explained. The structure prioritizes the health and well-being of its occupants by incorporating ample daylight, superior air quality control, and ergonomic design principles, he said.

Additionally, the facility incorporates lush green spaces for storm water management integrated into the East Campus design, along with a rooftop garden and outdoor gathering areas. According to Williams, this was done to foster a connection with nature and provide a serene environment away from the mission tempo.

Finally, during the construction — managed by U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) Baltimore District East Campus Integrated Program Office — materials were sustainably sourced. From construction to interior finishes, the building utilizes locally sourced, environmentally friendly materials with recycled content, minimizing the impact on natural resources, Williams said.
 
Under LEED, an evaluated project scores points across six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environment quality (IEQ), and design innovation. Certification is achieved by documenting compliance with requirements in each category.

“The higher the degree of compliance, the higher the certification level,” Williams said. “Achieving LEED Gold demonstrates a high degree of attention to the sustainable aspects of the building’s construction.”

The certificate marks the latest significant recognition captured by the state-of-the-art building since it opened late last year. The Morrison Center, which serves as the new home for the National Security Operations Center and the Director, also won the Association of General Contractors Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering and Collaboration Award and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) Intelligence Community (IC) Facilities Program of the Year.

The Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering and Collaboration Award is a highly coveted honor presented annually to construction projects that demonstrate excellence and achieve success by implementing the principles of partnering.

According to MILCON Chief Matt Boren, construction of the 843,000-square foot facility was successful due to six guiding principles established early on: putting the mission first, safety, operational readiness/schedule, quality, teamwork, and team experience.

“This project showcases partnering at its finest,” Boren said. “Collaboration and communication among stakeholders and the team’s commitment to a ‘mission first’ mindset resulted in a facility of exceptional quality that will play a vital role in protecting our national security for decades to come.”

The IC Facilities Program of the Year award recognizes buildings that demonstrate excellence in facility management, maintenance, and operations. The Morrison Center surpassed other facilities projects in the IC by implementing cutting-edge technologies and systems that optimize energy consumption, enhance occupant comfort, and streamline maintenance processes, Boren said.

By employing intelligent building automation, advanced energy management systems, and efficient waste management strategies, the facility showcases a commitment to operational efficiency and sustainable practices, Boren said.

The Morrison Center is a testament to the possibilities of sustainable architecture and design, according to Westfall.

“The receipt of these awards solidifies NSA’s position as a trailblazer in the IC,” Westfall said. “By combining architectural ingenuity, operational excellence, and environmental leadership, this extraordinary structure has set new benchmarks for sustainable building practices.”

As I&L looks to the future of the East Campus, the Morrison Center stands as an inspiration for architects, developers, and facility managers worldwide, Westfall explained.

MILCON is already applying the lessons learned in collaboration and design to create future structures on East Campus.

“Both the Chiari Center and the Kenny Center are being constructed with the goal to further establish the East Campus as the global state-of-the-art IC campus,” Westfall said.
 

Interested in learning more about joining NSA’s mission? Visit NSA.gov/Careers for more information.