Glossary

Anechoic chamber: The National Security Agency's headquarters in Maryland includes a massive cathedral containing fire retardant plastic foam spikes, creating an almost perfect acoustic environment for testing transmitters and antennae.

Cipher: A system for concealing plain text by transposing the letters or numbers or substituting other letters or numbers according to a key. It is 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): The NSA program for information obtained for intelligence purposes from the intercept of foreign communications (by other than the intended recipient).

COMPUSEC (Computer Security): The NSA's program for protecting U.S. government computers from exploitation and intrusion by foreign intelligence services and computer cracking and hacking groups.

COMSEC (Communications Security): The protection of communications from exploitation by foreign intelligence services. This includes ensuring the security of U.S. cryptosystems, the prevention of electronic emissions from various communications equipment and the physical protection of 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 branches --Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines -- and works to ensure a full partnership between the NSA and the military.

Decode: To convert an encoded message into the equivalent plain text.

Encode: To replace plain text words with code groups.

Encrypt: To conceal plain text by use of a code or cipher.

ELINT (Electronic Intelligence): The NSA acronym for 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.

HPSCI: The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which provides oversight on U.S. 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.

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.

National Security Council: The NSC is the executive branch agency that advises and assists the U.S. president on national security and foreign policies. Established in 1947, the council also coordinates these policies among various government agencies on behalf of the president. The primary council members are the president, vice president and secretaries of state and defense. The military adviser to the council is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while the CIA director is the council's intelligence adviser. Invited to all NSC meetings are the treasury secretary, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the national security adviser and the president's chief of staff and economic policy assistant. Other officials, such as the attorney general and the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, also attend meetings pertaining to their jurisdiction.

NSOC (National Security Operations Center): The National Security Operations Center is the NSA's nerve center, often the first place that word of a crisis reaches the United States. It was the first to learn of the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa and of the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. It was also the first to be notified in the United States that a pilot had been downed over Serbia during the Kosovo war. The NSA played a key role in giving his rescuers information they needed to get him out safely. A blue flashing light goes on in the center at the time of a crisis. When people without security clearances visit, such as a CNN camera crew and correspondent, a red flashing light is lit to warn staff not to discuss classified matters.

STICS (Scalable Transportable Intelligence Communications Systems): These systems are based at the NSA ready for rapid deployment to hot spots when needed. The units set up a downlink to receive encrypted, classified intelligence data for ground commanders. Units were deployed in the Balkans, Panama and Somalia. The units set up a tent, with secure telephones and other communications. The STICS are temporary field units. Once deployed, a decision is made as to whether U.S. forces will be staying more than a few months. If so, a more permanent arrangement is set up.

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

SSCI: The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which provides oversight on U.S. intelligence activities.

Supercomputer: The fastest type of computer used for specialized applications that require a massive number of mathematical calculations. The NSA supercomputer center contains the largest accumulation of computer power in any one building on Earth. One Cray Triton supercomputer at the facility can handle 64 billion instructions per second, and there are many of them at the NSA. The computers are used for breaking adversaries' codes, creating U.S. top-secret codes and sifting through billions of information intercepts made by the NSA searching for useful intelligence. The government also bans the sale of supercomputers to countries such as Iraq for fear they may be used to create nuclear weapons.

Sources: National Security Agency, White House

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