PROGRESS REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION NO. 2 OF 15 JUNE 1965

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 23, 2006
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: September 8, 1966
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA- P82M00097R001400090004-4
%m SECRET _ftorl
USIB-D-39.7/18
8 September 1966
UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOAR D
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
SUBJECT Progress Report on Implementation of the President's
Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board Recommendation
No. 2 of 15 June 1965
REFERENCES a. Mr. Clifford's Memorandum of 15 June 1965
for the President
b. Mr. Bundy's Memorandum of 15 July 1965 for
the Director of Central Intelligence
c. USIB-D-39, 7/11, 24 September 1965
d, USIB-M-405, 7 October 1965, Secretary's Note 2
1, The attached report from the Chairman of the Committee on Documentation
(CODIB) is submitted for USIB consideration of the CODIB recommendations in
paragraph 5, page 6. The attachment reports on the progress to date toward
implementing the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB)
Recommendation No. 2 (reference a, ) regarding expansion of the NSA Technical
Information Processing System (TIPS) to include an intelligence community
experiment in interagency information handling. The previous progress report
covering this subject was approved by USIB (reference d. ) and is contained in
the attachment to reference c.
2. The subject report is based on accomplishments to date of the CODIB
Working Group especially established to address the problems of conducting
the Community On-Line Intelligence System (COINS) experiment. The over-
all conclusion is that the COINS experiment is progressing satisfactorily
through planning and the early stages of implementation, that it appears now
that the COINS network of computer systems and communications linkages
can be achieved early in 1967, and that substantive portions of the experiment
can be initiated by that time,
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
Approved For Release 2006/11/0'1"9 MF'82M00097R001400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
?. SECRET
USIB-D-39. 7/18
8 September 1966
USIB Action Requested
3, Board members are requested to advise the Secretariat no later
than close of business 16 September 1966 of their concurrence in or
other views on the CODIB recommendations in paragraph 5, page 6 of the
attached report,
Executive Secre ar
SECRET
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
S-E-C-R-E-T
CODIB-D-113/4.4
1 September 1966
SUBJECT: Progress Report on Implementation of the President's
Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board Recommendation
No. 2 of 15 June 1965
REFERENCES: a. Mr. Clifford's Memorandum of 15 June 1965 for
the President
b. Mr. Bundy's Memorandum of 15 July 1965 for the
Director of Central Intelligence
c. Director of Central Intelligence Memorandum of
2 October 1965 for the Special Assistant to the
President, National Security Affairs, and the
Chairman, President's Foreign Intelligence Ad-
visory Board (USIB-D-39.7/11, 24 September 1965)
1. Background. This is a report of progress made toward
implementing the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
(PFIAB) Recommendation No. 2, regarding expansion of the National
Security Agency's Technical Information Processing System (TIPS)
to include a community experiment in interagency information hand-
ling. The report is based on accomplishments to date of the CODIB
Working Group especially established to address the problems of
conducting the Community On-Line Intelligence System (COINS) experi-
ment.
2. Program Status.
a. Overall
(1) The COINS experiment is progressing satisfactorily
through planning and the early stages of implementation. The CODIB
Working Group on COINS is performing effectively in developing the
Group I
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification.
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82MOO097R001400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
overall framework for the experiment, and in coordinating the
efforts of several sub-groups concerned with specific segments of
the experiment such as communications linkages and procedures,
selection of data files, and system evaluation planning. Major
problems remain to be solved in the areas of data files and COINS
evaluation planning. It appears now that the COINS network of
computer systems and communications linkages can be achieved
early in 1967, and that substantive portions of the experiment
can be initiated by that time.
(2) The COINS Working Group has drafted an
implementation plan describing the details of the initial phases of
the COINS experiment (a schematic diagram of the COINS network is
attached). The drafting of the system evaluation, management, and
resources portions of the implementation plan is underway.
b. Hardware
(1) Computer Hardware. The computer equipment for
the COINS experiment is either installed or has been approved for
acquisition.
(2) Communications and Cryptographic Equipment.
Each participant in COINS will have to provide its own communications
and cryptographic terminal equipment. 25x1
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
Nof
S-E-C-R-E-T
c. Software
The major portion of the computer software required
for the COINS experiment still has to be produced. Many of the
basic agreements and identifications of specific software items to
be produced have already been made. For example, NSA and NPIC have
already agreed on similar interrogation procedures and formats;
DIA and State will use the NSA/NPIC interrogation language and
format thus making it unnecessary for DIA to write a translate program.
d. Data Files
(1) NSA has made the following files available
for the COINS experiment:
(2) NPIC has nominated its Target Brief File
(a restricted sub-set of the total file) for use in COINS.
(3) CIA has nominated the following files for the
COINS experiment:
(4) DIA is making available the following files:
e. Evaluation
The COINS Working Group has developed preliminary plans
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82MOO097ROO1400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4 SWO,
S-E-C-R-E-T
for a technical evaluation of the COINS experiment. These plans are
aimed primarily at insuring that capabilities exist at the commencement
of the experiment to collect the information that will be required for
evaluation. These capabilities include computer programs by which each
agency's computer system would maintain system logs showing the COINS
load and activity within the agency. A separate program on the COINS
communications switch computer would maintain continuous logs on the
characteristics of traffic in the network including total number of
messages sent per day, number of messages in each message category,
number of messages per agency, time peak loads, and message queue
lengths. (See paragraph 3 for further discussion).
f. Resources
3. Major Problem Areas.
a. Intelligence Data Files
(1) The selection of intelligence data files for
the COINS experiment persists as a most difficult problem. The
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82MOO097ROO1400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
144W N"Wo,
S-E-C-R-E-T
real difficulty is in selecting files which are readily available in
machineable form and which,at the same time, have high utility to
the analysts who will participate in the operational feasibility por-
tions of the experiment. There is a shortage of files which satisfy
both the availability and utility criteria. For example, in the
biographic area recommended by the PFIAB, the majority of biographic
files are not in machineable form. In order to get some of the best
biographic materials into COINS, machineable files would have to be
developed at considerable cost in time and manpower.
(2) CODIB is acutely aware of the impact of this
problem on COINS and is trying to find ways to insure that only high-
value files are used in the experiment. Among the actions pending is
an effort to have substantive analysts in each agency identify and
describe what they consider to be useful files. From this point,
attempts can be made to have the appropriate files made available for
COINS use.
b. System Evaluation
(1) As in any experiment, evaluation is a crucial part
of the COINS effort. The nature of COINS makes a dual type of evalua-
tion mandatory. A technical evaluation must be conducted to determine
whether the network and its individual hardware/software components
have met technical specificationp, security criteria, and accuracy
requirements. An operational evaluation must be performed to determine
whether the system is useful to the analyst and, if so, to what extent.
The operational evaluation will be influenced by system technical per-
formance as well as the utility of the information handled within the
system.
(2) Both the technical and operational evaluations
require the prior establishment of firm performance objectives and
specifications to be used as the base against which to measure actual
system performance. CODIB has commenced preparation of a list of COINS
objectives together with an itemized break-out of both technical and
operational performance specifications. Work is also being done on
the development of evaluation techniques including the design of
automatic methods of collecting performance data at each of the compu-
ter systems and the communications switch of the COINS network.
c. Management Implications
Because COINS is the first community exercise in inter-
agency automated information handling and interchange, there are no
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097ROO1400090004-4
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
swi S-E-C-R-E-T
available precedents on how to manage the COINS network. The Working
Group on COINS is currently fulfilling technical system management.
There is, however,aneed for a more formal management structure, one
that is empowered to exercise broader authority over the entire network
and its impact on the overall functions of the community. CODIB is
considering alternative means of providing this necessary management.
d. Resources Implications
Estimates made to date of the cost of implementing the
first phase of COINS are necessarily gross and tentative. More detailed
information on total system resource requirements is needed. CODIB has
accordingly. tasked the Working Group with developing a more comprehensive
resources plan for the entire COINS experiment.
4. Activity Forecasts.
Following are the COINS tasks to be pursued during the next
reporting period:
'(a) Participants will proceed with the reconfiguration
of hardware, the acquisition and installation of computer, communications
and cryptographic equipment where appropriate, and the preparation of
required items of COINS software.
(b) CODIB will continue its efforts to determine the
criteria for selecting useful files for COINS and to identify and estab-
lish the availability of data files satisfying these criteria.
(c) CODIB, with support from the Working Group and.
participants in the COINS experiment, will expedite the preparation of
COINS technical and operational objectives and specifications, and the
drafting of a system evaluation plan.
(d) The COINS Working Group.will prepare resources and
management plans for the entire COINS experiment.
5. USIB Action.
The Committee on Documentation recommends that USIB 25X1
note the
above report of progress made in conducting the COINS experiment and
approve the continuation of the effort to establish the ('1TNTg
as outlined heroin
Attachment:
Diagram of COINS Network
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82MOO097R001400090004-4
 25X1 Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4
Approved For Release 2006/11/01: CIA-RDP82M00097R001400090004-4