Rabu, 12 Desember 2018

The Nsa's Regional Cryptologic Centers



For many years, the US National Security Agency (NSA) was identified amongst its almost iconic dark-glass cube-shaped headquarters edifice at Fort Meade inward Maryland.

Only when Edward Snowden stepped forwards inward 2013, the world learned that there's too a large NSA facility inward Hawaii - which is genuinely 1 of iv regional centers spread across the United States.

- History of the NSA's Cryptologic Centers

- Cryptologic Centers within the US: Hawaii - Georgia - Texas - Colorado

- Cryptologic Centers exterior the US: Europe - Afghanistan




History of the NSA's Cryptologic Centers

The history of the NSA's regional performance centers is described inward the 60th Anniversary Book of the way from 2012:

"In the 1970s in addition to 1980s, NSA leadership grew concerned over the centralization of functions at Fort Meade. Partially prompted past times the take away to discovery adequate infinite for its personnel in addition to equipment, the Agency began to await at moving some assets away from the Fort Meade area.

In this light, inward 1980 a Remote Operating Facility (ROF) at Kunia was established on the Hawaiian isle of Oahu. Although living costs were high there, Kunia had the payoff of proximity to the Commander inward Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC).

In the belatedly 1980s, the cryptologic leadership began developing the Regional Security Operations Center (RSOC) concept. Proven figurer in addition to communications applied scientific discipline allowed NSA to delegate SIGINT authorization to these regional centers, thence avoiding an overconcentration inward the Washington area.

Under the RSOC doctrine, each centre would live on "hosted" past times 1 of the armed services services in addition to so that all services could live on represented.

In 1995 the centers opened in addition to NSA began to transfer missions to them. The Kunia facility was given a novel condition equally an RSOC.

Over the adjacent decade, the RSOCs evolved from express operations centers into mini "regional NSAs" inward Georgia, Texas, Hawaii in addition to Colorado amongst the next mission benefits:
• Consolidation of cryptologic operations
• Dispersion of facilities from the Washington, D.C. area
• Capability of serving equally alternate communications centers
• Representation of all armed services services.
The concept of "regional NSAs" was reinforced when NSA suffered a massive figurer outage early on inward 2000, in addition to the RSOCs, equally components that could operate independently, picked upward the essential missions until NSA was dorsum inward total operation. Today all iv centers, straightaway known equally Cryptologic Centers, are operational, expanding, in addition to render redundancy inward the effect of an emergency.



Cryptologic Centers within the US

Officially acknowledged in addition to listed on the NSA's official website are the iv Cryptologic Centers which are located within the United States. Especially those inward Hawaii, Texas in addition to Georgia are fairly large facilities amongst a few thou employees each in addition to consisting of both operations in addition to information centers.

The Cryptologic Centers inward Hawaii, Texas in addition to Georgia each encompass a geographically defined share of the earth, piece the Cryptologic Center inward Colorado is responsible for air in addition to infinite based collection systems.


NSA/CSS Hawaii (NSAH)

- Established inward 1980 equally a Remote Operating Facility (ROF), which was turned into the Kunia Regional Security Operations Center (KRSOC) inward 1995 in addition to became a Cryptologic Center inward 2005. Initially located inward the Kunia Tunnel complex inward Honolulu, Hawaii.

- Currently located inward the Joseph J. Rochefort building, a $ 358 1 thou one thousand in addition to 250,000 square-foot complex close Wahiawa inward Honolulu that was opened inward Jan 2012.

- Hosted past times the US Navy.

- About 3300 armed services in addition to civilian employees.

- Area of responsibility: the Pacific Rim in addition to Far East, Southeast in addition to Southwest Asia.

- Supports the Indo-Pacific Command of the US Armed Forces.

- SIGAD: USJ-750

- See also: Wikipedia - Cryptome - Cryptome - CBS News


The Joseph J. Rochefort Building of NSA/CSS Hawaii inward Honolulu, Hawaii (2019)
(still from CBS News - click to enlarge)



NSA/CSS Georgia (NSAG)

- Established inward 1995 equally the Ft Gordon Regional Security Operations Center (GRSOC) in addition to turned into a Cryptologic Center inward 2005. Initially located at Fort Gordon inward Augusta, Georgia.

- Currently located inward the John Whitelaw building, a $ 286 1 thou one thousand in addition to 604,000 foursquare human foot complex that was opened inward March 2012.

- Hosted past times the US Army

- Some 4000 employees

- Area of responsibility: Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the Near East in addition to the Western Farsi Gulf.

- Supports the European Command in addition to the Central Command of the US Armed Forces

- NSAG too includes the alternate National Security Operations Center (NSOC, projection DECKPIN) which serves equally a back-up for the NSOC at NSA headquarters.

- SIGADs: USN-18 in addition to USJ-800

- See also: Wikipedia - Cryptome - SIDtoday


The John Whitelaw Building of NSA/CSS Georgia at Fort Gordon (2012)
(photo: NSA - click to enlarge)



NSA/CSS Texas (NSAT)

- Established inward 1995 equally the Medina Regional Security Operations Center (MRSOC) in addition to turned into a Cryptologic Center inward 2005. Initially located on the Medina Annex of Lackland Air Force Base close San Antonio, Texas.

- In 2005, the NSA acquired a old Sony flake fabrication flora inward the Northwest Side of San Antonio for $ 30.5 1 thou one thousand in addition to invested equally much equally $ 300 1 thou one thousand to transform the 470,000 foursquare feet complex into the electrical flow Texas Cryptologic Center (TCC).

- Hosted past times the US Air Force.

- Probably some 6000 armed services in addition to civilian employees.

- Area of responsibility: Middle in addition to South America, the Caribbean Area in addition to the Atlantic littoral of Africa.

- Supports the Southern Command in addition to the Central Command of the US Armed Forces.

- SIGADs: USN-26 in addition to USJ-783

- See also: Wikipedia - Cryptome - Cryptome


NSA's Cryptologic Center inward San Antonio, Texas (2013)
(photo: William Luther - click to enlarge)



NSA/CSS Colorado (NSAC)

- Established around 2002 equally the Denver Security Operations Center (DSOC) in addition to turned into a Cryptologic Center inward 2005.

- Initially located inward temporary buildings at the Aerospace Data Facility at Buckley Air Force Base inward Aurora, close Denver, Colorado. In 2012, a novel $ 141 1 thou one thousand edifice was planned to render infinite for 850 NSA employees .

- NSA's primary production centre for Weapons in addition to Space (W&S) targets in addition to Technical Signals Intelligence (TechSIGINT).

- Co-located amongst the articulation NSA-NRO Overhead Collection Management Center (OCMC) which manages spy planes in addition to spy satellites.

- SIGAD: USJ-751

- See also: Wikipedia - SIDtoday - SIDtoday


The Aerospace Data Facility at Buckley Air Force Base inward Aurora, Colorado
(click to enlarge)


Shore support

According to a tracking Chinese hackers.


Hacking operations

As described inward several editions of the internal newsletter SIDtoday, the NSA's hacking segmentation TAO started to comport Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) operations too from the cryptologic centers, starting fourth dimension inward 2004 inward Hawaii, followed inward 2006 past times Texas in addition to Georgia. In 2008, NSA/CSS Texas had some lx TAO operators, a publish that was planned to rising to 270 inward 2015.



The TAO hacking unit of measurement at the NSA/CSS Texas Cryptologic Center
(source: NSA Texas presentation - click to enlarge)



Cryptologic Centers exterior the US

Not officially acknowledged are the Cryptologic Centers which are located exterior the United States. From the Snowden revelations nosotros know the existance of the next 2 centers, which are much smaller than those within the US in addition to Second in addition to Third Party partners.


European Cryptologic Center (ECC)

- Established inward Apr 2004 equally the European Security Center (ESC) in addition to turned into the European Security Operations Center (ESOC) inward July 2006. In May 2011 it became a Cryptologic Center in addition to got its ain NTOC.

- Initially located at the Dagger Complex of the US Army exterior Griesheim, close Darmstadt inward Germany.

- In 2016, the ECC moved to the newly built $ 91 1 thou one thousand Consolidated Intelligence Center (CIC) amongst a $ 30.4 1 thou one thousand Information Processing Center (IPC) at the Lucius D. Clay Barracks close Wiesbaden inward Germany.

- Hosted past times the US Army Intelligence in addition to Security Command (INSCOM).

- Some 240 armed services in addition to civilian personnel (in 2011).

- Operations focused at counter-terrorism in addition to supporting armed services operations inward the Middle East in addition to North Africa (MENA).

- Supports the European Command in addition to the Africa Command of the US Armed Forces.

- SIGADs: USM-44 (ESC) in addition to USJ-753

- See also:


The European Cryptologic Center (ECC) close Griesheim inward Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany (2014)
(Photo: AP - click to enlarge)



Afghanistan Remote Operations Cryptologic Center (A-ROCC)

- Established inward Oct 2009 in addition to fully operational inward the Winter of 2010.

- Located inward 17,000 square-foot business office spaces at Area 82 of Bagram Airfield close Kabul inward Afghanistan.

- Over 250 employees, 120 of whom linguists (in 2009), Afghanistan SIGINT Coalition (AFSC).

- Supports US in addition to Coalition forces throughout Afghanistan.

- See also: SIDtoday - The Intercept


The buildings of the A-ROCC at Area 82 of Bagram Airfield close Kabul (2010)
(source: GCHQ presentation - click to enlarge)


There may live on other, smaller Remote Operations Cryptologic Centers (ROCCs) equally earlier the large A-ROCC was established at that spot was a ROCC inward house since 2005 mainly supporting the Regional Command-East of ISAF.



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