(Updated: Dec 7, 2014)
Three days ago, on July 5, 2014, The Washington Post published unopen to of the most of import stories from the Snowden-leaks thence far. It revealed that Snowden did had access to the content of information collected nether FISA too FAA ascendance - a fact that had been kept cloak-and-dagger until now. I'll come upward dorsum on that chief story later.
Here nosotros volition accept a expect at a remarkable item from 2 slides that were also disclosed inwards the Post's article. The classification marker of these slides contains the codeword UMBRA, which was to a greater extent than oftentimes than non considered to hold upward abolished inwards 1999, but similar a shot seems to hold upward nonetheless inwards use. After going through several options, my determination is that UMBRA is most probable the codename of a so-called unpublished SCI command system.
"Target Package" prepared yesteryear the National Security Agency
prior to the capture of Abu Hamza inwards Jan 2011
(click to enlarge)
These slides are from a 2011 powerpoint presentation which details the innovation to capture al-Qaeda facilitator Muhammad Tahir Shahzad too which pinpoints his location too his activities based upon intercepts from his diverse email accounts. He was captured inwards Abbottabad the twenty-four hours after this presentation was finalized.
In the 2012 NRO Review too Redaction Guide (pdf) the existance of the UMBRA codeword is approved for world release, but similar its paragraph part marker TSC (for Top Secret Codeword). But equally this manual also lists many revoked codewords, it is non conclusive close wether UMBRA is nonetheless used. One affair that is interesting though, is that the TSC part marker would correspond unopen to of the redacted spaces inwards the newly disclosed slide:
Some possible options for the part markings
Top Secret Codeword
UMBRA was i of 3 codewords that were used to protect sensitive intercepts of Communication Intelligence (COMINT). These codewords represented 3 levels of sensitivity:
- UMBRA for the most sensitive cloth (Category III)
- SPOKE for less sensitive cloth (Category II)
- MORAY for the to the lowest degree sensitive cloth (Category I)
These variety of codewords were used since the terminate of
(click for the total document equally pdf-file)
According to instructions similar these, the purpose of the codewords UMBRA, SPOKE too MORAY was terminated equally of May 1999. From thence on, the variety of information they were used for, had similar a shot to hold upward protected yesteryear the full general COMINT command system, or yesteryear specific compartments thereof for to a greater extent than sensitive information.
Update:
Since World War II, the NSA too her predecessors used codewords for protecting highly sensitive COMINT information too they were to a greater extent than oftentimes than non replaced yesteryear a novel i every i or to a greater extent than years. The Top Secret codeword TRINE was compromised when the North Koreans captured the NSA spy send USS Pueblo inwards 1968. TRINE was thence replaced yesteryear UMBRA.
SPOKE
Very interesting is that non solely UMBRA, but also the codeword SPOKE seems to hold upward nonetheless inwards use. One document from the Snowden-leaks, which was published yesteryear STRAP is the codeword that GCHQ uses to protect sensitive information, alongside STRAP1 denoting the to the lowest degree sensitive category:
Given the rather old-fashioned logo-type of the letters SD, it's non quite clear whether the document, or at to the lowest degree the header mightiness predate 1999, although the content is clearly from to a greater extent than recent years. Der Spiegel said that it's an "analysis of the communication paths betwixt Kingdom of Belgium too Africa prepared inwards Jan 2009".
Possible options
NSA using codewords that were to a greater extent than oftentimes than non considered abolished, reminds of a similar instance inwards which the NOCON marker appeared inwards a document from the Snowden-trove. The full general purpose of that marker was terminated inwards 1995, but NSA kept using it equally an internal marking. As such it isn't listed inwards the official Classification Manuals, which are declassified regularly.
Now it seems that the same could own got happened to the codewords UMBRA, SPOKE too peradventure also to MORAY, but there's a difference: NOCON is a dissemination marking, a category which is less strictly controlled than a compartment, similar UMBRA.
As the classification draw of piece of job of the newly disclosed slides seems non fully right (there has to hold upward a single, instead of a double slash betwixt ORCON too REL USA, FVEY), which makes that at that spot are a few options for what UMBRA could genuinely represent.
One selection is that the double slash betwixt COMINT too UMBRA is correct. In that instance UMBRA wouldn't hold upward a Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) label for word information - which it genuinely looks similar most - but a codeword from unopen to other category, similar for representative a Special Access Program (SAP) or Foreign Government Information (FGI) (Marc Ambinder favors this option).
Another selection is that at that spot should own got been but a unmarried slash betwixt both terms. That would hateful UMBRA is a normal SCI command system, inwards this instance i that is obviously kept secret, equally it was never mentioned anywhere since 1999.
The latter selection seems really good possible, because the most recent Intelligence Community Classification Manual (pdf) acknowledges the existance of "registered but unpublished SCI command systems" which "must rest unpublished due to sensitivity too restrictive access controls".
It seems less probable that UMBRA is the undisclosed compartment of the COMINT (SI) command system, which is listed inwards the most recent Intelligence Community Classification Manuals, because inwards that instance the marker would own got read TOP SECRET//COMINT-UMBRA//etc.
Questions
Given this sensitivity, i wonders why inwards the orangish classification bars of the slides UMBRA hasn't been blacked out. The overall classification draw of piece of job inwards the kickoff slide too also most of the part markings were fully redacted, although the latter tin hardly incorporate something that is to a greater extent than sensitive than the UMBRA abbreviation.
Another inquiry is whether Edward Snowden had authorized access to the UMBRA compartment, or that he was able to but select handgrip of these slides otherwise. The Washington Post suggests that he did had access to the Exceptionally Controlled Information (ECI) compartment RAGTIME, which is similar to UMBRA, but for content collected nether FISA ascendance (UMBRA is in all likelihood for content collected nether EO 12333).
Conclusion
For those who are somehow familiar alongside the US classification system, it must hold upward quite surprising to meet a codeword that has been considered dead for xv years popping upward from the Snowden-leaks. The most probable explanation is that after UMBRA (and SPOKE too) was publicly abolished inwards 1999, NSA kept using it inwards cloak-and-dagger equally a compartment for really sensitive communication intercepts, but similar a shot equally an unpublished SCI command organisation - letting outsiders intend that UMBRA was something from the past!
Update:
On Dec 4, 2014, the website The Intercept came alongside a contains a slide which shows an representative of an NSA serialized production report. The classification draw of piece of job of this study reads: TOP SECRET UMBRA US/UK/CAN/AUS/NZ EYES ONLY:
Links too Sources
- Lux ex Umbra: UMBRA history
- TheWeek.com: The furnish of an word code give-and-take alongside a storied history
- H5N1 function of fine art from the series "Secret Codewords of the NSA": UMBRA
- William M. Arkin, Code Names, Deciphering U.S. Military Plans, Programs, too Operations inwards the 9/11 World, Steerforth Press, 2005.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar