U.S. committee for data protection

WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- The head of U.S. intelligence has established a new committee of senior officials to oversee technical measures needed to protect classified data and networks.

In a directive issued last month and posted on the Web by the Secrecy News blog this week, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell outlined steps to improve countermeasures against technical surveillance. Such measures, called TSCM, "are designed to detect and nullify a wide range of technologies used to gain unauthorized access to classified national security information," wrote McConnell.

The directive establishes the National Integrated Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures Committee, a body made up of senior officials from all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and led by one of McConnell's deputies.

The assistant deputy director of national intelligence for security will chair the committee, and the vice chair will be the head of the National Counter-Intelligence Executive, or NCIX. The NCIX will also have its staff review all countermeasures programs either once or twice a year.

The committee, meeting quarterly, will propose new countermeasures or procedures, report to McConnell on intelligence agencies' compliance with existing ones and set up a new "funding mechanism that addresses TCSM issues of common concern."