CASE STUDY THE AGENCY'S TOP SECRET CONTROL PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10T01930R000600030007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 16, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Content Type: MISC

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/26: CIA-RDP1 OT01930R000600030007-4
CASE STUDY
THE AGENCY' S TOP SECRET CONTROL PROGRAM
1. ORGANIZATION
DDA, Office of Security
Information Systems Security Group, Headquarters
A.. Function: Management of Agency's TOP SECRET
Control Program
B. Staff : One Professional
One Clerical Assistant
II.. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
_. YT .
~Iz`197 ?the following Ianaggment y Ob~ec- ve
equirement was le~ried upon this offa ce
Implement completely, by 30 June 1976, an
updated Agency program to control TOP SECRET
material in accordance with Executive Order
11652, and appropriate Headquarters Regulations,
to include, in all probability, an automated
control system.
III. BACKGROUND
TOP SECRET control procedures have been in effect
within the Agency since its beginning, and therefore,
the program is over twenty-five years old. There were
varying degrees of procedural control and enforcement
for accountability.
The Top Secret Control Program had evolved to a
totally decentralized system, with 0 component STAT
control officers. Their responsibility was to main-
tain accountability and control records for their
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respective component TOP SECRET documents, and
function as a point of record and transfer for all
TOP SECRET documents entering or leaving their
jurisdiction.
IV. SOURCE OF PROBLEMS
In general, there was no central control for all
TOP SECRET documents, i.e., no inventory by component,
exact location of any document, enforcement of method-
ology for receipting, mailing, destruction, or transfer-
ring; in essence, no accountability. It was estimated,
after reviewing available records and querying the.
component control officers, that there were approxi-
mately 120,000 TOP SECRET documents-actively on file
in the Agency.
V. ACTION PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH MBO
A. A feasibility study was conducted by OJCS (now
ODP), to determine if an automated system could
be developed which would identify TOP SECRET docu-
ments, who or what office possessed them, who or
what officer was responsible, whether it was an
original or a copy, and the ability to track the
transfer of accountability of TOP SECRET documents
between control points.
At that time, the Project Cost was broken
down to fifteen man-weeks @ $680 per man-week,
and computer time cost of $3,600 - totaling
$13,800. It was projected that the annual cost
of operatin an automated system would be approxi-
mately
? The feasibility plan was effected, and an
automated system to control TOP SECRET documents
was proposed, one identified as TSCADS - Top
Secret Control Automated Data System, which would
provide:
I. A complete, accurate, centralized
records inventory;
2. The capability to support an Agency-
wide annual physical sighting of Top Secret
material;
STAT
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3. The ability to notify holders of
TOP SECRET material of downgrading or de-
classification action:
4. Printouts of each responsible office?s
TOP SECRET holdings;
5. Special records reports as needed or
desired.
C. The following milestones were identified in
pursuance of this MBO:
1. 1S October 1975 - Determine quantity/
types of TOP SECRET material;
.2. 30 October 1975 - Define organiza-
tional structure of updated Agency program;
3. 1 December 1975 - Define functional/
operational structure of the program covering
manual and automated options;
4. 1 December 1975 - Selection of manual
or automated system;
5. 1 February 1976 - Issue a revised
Top Secret Control guide;
6. 1 :March 1976 - Issue a revised
to the Regulations Control Staff;
7. 1 April 1976 - Implement program, or
if automated, a pilot program;
8. 1 July 1976 - Implement automated
program.
VI. ACCOMPLISMENT
C-The =t?0 was me as of 1 July-1 976however, the
foll-6-wing conditions were experienced which impeded
the attainment of some milestones:
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1. Due to a variety of existing control
systems maintained by Top Secret Control STAT
Officers, it was not practical to develop a
fixed schedule of inputting their data into
the automated system.
2. A guide, Manual for Top Secret Control
Officers, was prepared in draft, but final
printing was delayed in order to benefit from
more experience in the operation of the new
system.
3. The original estimate of 120,000 docu-
ments had to be revised as copies, attachments,
and retired or archival material had not been
taken into account.
4. The publication of the basic
policy governing the control of TOP SECRET
material, required a great deal of coordination
within the Agency, which resulted in a time
delay.
A. To initiate an Agency-wide physical inventory
to account for all TOP SECRET documents.
B. To develop a methodology, utilizing TSCADS to
review TOP SECRET material for retention of its
classification, possible downgrading or declassi-
fication, destruction, or return to source,of
origination.
To justify to management a need for manpower
and resources to accomplish this program.
STAT
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