From Bullrun To Nocon Together With Laconic

On September 5, The New York Times too sensitive information compartment, but a "secure COI".

COI or CoI stands for Community of Interest, a to a greater extent than mutual reckoner safety characteristic past times which network assets and/or users are segregated past times technological means. This is done through a logical or physical grouping of network devices or users amongst access to information that should non survive available to the full general user population of the network. According to the 2011 Classification Manual (pdf), information residing on secure COIs may non survive taken out of the COI or moved to other databases without appropriate approval.

ECI = Exceptionally Controlled Information; PTD = Penetrating Target Defences
IIB = Initial Infrastructure Build ?

According to a GCHQ dissemination markings: they seem at the real terminate of a classification line, separated from other markings (like NOFORN too ORCON) past times a unmarried frontwards slash. For example: TOP SECRET//SI//NOFORN/BULLRUN


Surprise

As the COI codenames BULLRUN, ENDUE too NOCON are used inside a Top Secret environs for highly sensitive NSA operations, it was quite a surprise to detect the NOCON mark on about other document too: an appendix (pdf) of a real hugger-mugger NSA document. This appendix is almost Public Key crypto systems too has no date, but seems to survive from the 1980s. It was declassified past times the NSA inwards March 2007 upon asking of the Cryptome website:

The document was marked TOP SECRET UMBRA LACONIC NOCON. This one-time mode classification mark (without slashes betwixt the categories too terms) way that the document has the overall classification degree TOP SECRET too was protected past times putting it inwards the UMBRA compartment, which was designated for the most sensitive communications intercept material. The LACONIC too NOCON markings volition survive explained below.


LACONIC

The percentage of LACONIC is clarified inwards the NSA's internal New York Times, the straight predecessor of BULLRUN was a programme codenamed MANASSAS.

The LACONIC mark was retired equally of Oct 2006 too plainly replaced past times a novel compartment inside the command arrangement for Exceptionally Controlled Information (ECI).


NOCONTRACT

In improver to restricting access to people amongst the need-to-know, the 1988 Cryptolog explanation says that LACONIC was also designed to deny access to contractors too consultants. Therefore, LACONIC had e'er to survive accompanied past times the NOCONTRACT marking. Apparently this mark could also survive shortened to NOCON, equally tin survive seen inwards the aforementioned document almost populace telephone substitution crypto systems.

The Director of Central Intelligence Directive (DCID) 1/7 from Apr 12, 1995 ruled that equally from that date, the NOCONTRACT mark should non survive used anymore. This because it had "clearly outlived [its] usefullnes". Officials could right away liberate tidings bearing the NOCONTRACT mark to appropriately cleared too access-approved contractors. It's no surprise that this came at a fourth dimension when U.S.A. tidings agencies started their large-scale outsourcing to mortal contractors.

However, it seems foreign that Directive 1/7 eliminated the NOCONTRACT mark inwards 1995, but at the same fourth dimension nosotros yet run across NOCON equally a COI inwards recent BULLRUN documents. H5N1 possible explanation could survive that NSA yet wanted to maintain about sensitive materials out of the hands of contractors, too thence continued to role the NOCON mark internally.

This could also explicate the fact that NOCON, similar the BULLRUN too ENDUE COI markings, are non listed inwards the extensive classification mark manuals for the tidings community. The 2010 BULLRUN Classification Guide confirms that "the BULLRUN information label (for role inwards databases) too mark (for role inwards hard- or soft re-create documents) are for NSA/CSS internal role only".


Conclusion

At to the lowest degree since the 1980s, NSA used the LACONIC mark to protect sensitive information, which was in all likelihood related to reckoner codebreaking techniques. Whether LACONIC was for internal NSA role but is non exclusively clear, but equally LACONIC fabric was non meant for contractors too consultants, it had to survive accompanied past times the NOCONTRACT mark which was used throughout the tidings community.

After the full general role of NOCONTRACT or NOCON was prohibited inwards 1995, NSA seems to guide hold continued it equally an internal marking. Similar are the in all likelihood to a greater extent than recent markings ENDUE too BULLRUN, which are all used for highly sensitive information that is protected past times putting it inwards separated too secured parts (COIs) of NSA's internal reckoner networks.