APEX - A SINGLE SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00788R000100110012-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 2003
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: August 12, 1980
• Content Type: MF

Appr 12-9
ENDER WILL CHECK CLASSIFICATION TOP AND BOTTOM
UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL SECRET
OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
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NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
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DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE
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APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
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Remarks:
This is another shot at WRK's desired
approach to paper on APEX -
a single program.
Getting closer?
FOLD O RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAM DRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
8/12/80
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~I0 t
 Approved. For Release 2004/05/12 : CIA-RDP85T00788R000100110012-9
DRAFT #1
12 August 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director"of Central Intelligence
STAT FROM:
Special Assistant to the DCI for Compartmentation
STAT
Director of Security
SUBJECT: APEX - A Single System
1. I mentioned in the Second Quarterly Report of July that
difficulties were surfacing in implementing the part of APEX con-
cept that calls for the several government agencies to deal in a
UNIFORM way with industrial contractors who handle SCI and that
this potential problem is under examination.
2. This memorandum is a report of progress on that examination.
3. Industry doubts government ability to act in a concerted
manner in some rather peripheral areas that give them a basis for.
complaint. Among the issues we have identified are:
A multiplicity of forms, each slightly different
and each serving a different agency's perception of needs
in connection with, for example, personal history, finger-
print cards, authorization for release of financial,
academic and police records.
Variations in procedural matters concerning require-
ments for Background Investigations, adjudications of
trustworthiness and loyalty and the way this information
is obtained, including the polygraph.
Variations in physical security requirements.
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There are other issues which industry sees as making life easier
for them. Among such issues are:
A desire to have just one survey by a government
agency each year, no matter how many agencies share the
APEX Control Facility.
Advocacy of a ready transflerability of cleared
persons working on one agency's SCI contract to another.
An improvement in. the procedures of clearance and
a shortening of the time required.
A desire for a one time nondisclosure agreement.
A general reduction in security oversight by
government agencies.
4. The Security Committee staff-is addressing some of these
issues. Analytical actions and necessary coordinations are under-
way. The Investigative Agencies of the government are analyzing
just what it is they need in order to make reliable determinations
in today's environment and today's culture about loyalty and
trustworthiness and how to go about collecting such data, adjudicating
it and providing for appeal procedures when an individual is denied
SCI access. The polygraph looms as a major issue in attempts to
arrive at uniformity.
5. The SECOM has reissued updated physical security standards.
6. The Security Committee staff is also reviewing the varied
forms that have come about'over the years and-is well along in
culling duplications and unnecessary requests for information. Some
simplification seems possible.
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7. There are considerable concerns in the security components
of the Community, including CIA about some of the other issues.
Not all senior managers see concrete advantage or even broadly
desirable aspects in creating a uniform government-wide process
for dealing with SCI and industry although they do commend the
effort and are seriously seeking a viable approach. Principal
among these are the concerns that uniformity is viewed as meaning
an eventual acceptance of least common denominator security
standards, loss of a degree of control over activities, limitations
on flexibility to make sensible and practical on-the-spot decisions
where deviations from the norm are required and the loss of some
hard won and valuable personnel security screening procedures
like the polygraph. In addition there are as yet unquantified
but suspected tremendous resource implications in trying to
upgrade the Community's investigative capabilities. And lastly
there are major philosoplical tenets which must be addressed on an
evolutionary and not revolutionary basis.
8. We are working on these issues. They do not pose significant
hurdles to forward movement on APEX. They represent a desirable
aspect of the concept and spirit of APEX and when finally resolved
will be a viable, practical realization of the ideal in uniformity.
STAT
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