Intelligence Glossary

Intelligence Glossary

Intelligence Community Glossary

CIPHER - A system for concealing plain text by transposing the letters or numbers or substituting other letters or numbers according to a key. Also called a "cryptosystem."

CODE - A system for replacing words, phrases, letters or numbers by other words or groups of letters or numbers for concealment or brevity.

COMINT - Communications Intelligence - Information obtained for intelligence purposes from the intercept of foreign communications (by other than the intended recipient).

COMPUSEC - Computer Security - The protection of computers from exploitation by foreign intelligence services and "hackers."

COMSEC - Communications Security - The protection of communications from exploitation by foreign intelligence services. This includes ensuring the security of U.S. cryptosystems, the preventing electronic emissions from various communications equipment, and the physically protecting communications security equipment.

CRYPTOLOGY - The science and art of making and breaking codes and ciphers.

CRYPTOGRAPHY - The science and art of making codes and ciphers.

CRYPTANALYSIS - The conversion of encrypted messages into plain text without having the initial knowledge of the key used in encryption.

CSS - Central Security Service - The CSS comprises all U.S. military elements - Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and works to ensure a full partnership between NSA and the military.

DDO - The Deputy Director for Operations, NSA/CSS.

DDI - The Deputy Director for Information Systems Security, NSA/CSS.

DDT - The Deputy Director for Technology, NSA/CSS.

DECODE - To convert from an encoded message to equivalent plain text.

DIRNSA - The Director, NSA/Chief, CSS

DoD - The Department of Defense.

ENCODE - To replace plain text words with code groups.

ENCRYPT - To conceal plain text by use of a code or cipher.

ELINT - Electronic Intelligence - Information obtained for intelligence purposes from the intercept of foreign electromagnetic noncommunications transmissions (by other than the intended recipient). The most common sources of this type of information are foreign radar signals.

ELT - The DIRNSA's Executive Leadership Team.

FOIA - The Freedom of Information Act.

HPSCI - The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which provides oversight on NSA/CSS' intelligence activities.

INFOSEC - Information Systems Security - The protection of information systems against unauthorized access to or modification of information, whether in storage, processing or transit, and against the denial of service to authorized users or the provision of service to unauthorized users, including those measures necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats.

INTERCEPT - The acquisition of electromagnetic signals such as radio or radar by using electronic equipment for the purpose of gathering intelligence information on foreign entities. The material collected is itself sometimes referred to as "intercept."

IOB - The President's Intelligence Oversight Board, which is charged with oversight of all U.S. foreign intelligence activities.

JCS - The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

MEPP - NSA/CSS' Mathematics Education Partnership Program.

OMB - The President's Office of Management and Budget.

OPSEC - Operations Security - The process of denying potential adversaries any information about capabilities and/or intentions by identifying, controlling and protecting generally unclassified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive activities.

NSA/CSS - The National Security Agency/Central Security Service.

NSC - The National Security Council.

NSCID - The National Security Council Intelligence Directive.

SIGINT - Signals Intelligence - Information which contains (either individually or in combination) communications intelligence (COMINT), electronics intelligence (ELINT), and foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT), however transmitted.

SECDEF - The United States Secretary of Defense.

SSCI - The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which provides oversight on NSA/CSS' intelligence activities.

USA - United States Army.

USAF - United States Air Force.

USMC - United States Marines Corps.

USN - United States Navy.