Agencies

Agencies

• National Security Agency (NSA)

  The US government agency tasked with gathering intelligence for the country's government and military leaders, and preventing foreign adversaries from gaining access to classified national security information.

• Communications Security Establishment (CSE)
  

  Communication Security Establishment is Canada's national cryptologic agency. CSE was formally established, by an Order­in­Council, in 1946 as the Communications Branch, National Research Council. In 1975, it was renamed the Communications Security Establishment and moved to the National Defence portfolio.

• Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
  

  The UK government's communications­focussed intelligence agency, employing about 5,000 people.

• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC)
  

  A Washington­based tribunal that considers government agency requests to carry out surveillance for "foreign intelligence purposes" of suspects operating from within the US's borders.

• Defence Signals Directorate / Australians Signals Directorate (ASD/DSD)
  

  An Australian government intelligence agency responsible for signals intelligence and information security, established in 1947.

• Bundesnachrichtendienst ­ German Foreign Intelligence Service (BND)
  

  The foreign intelligence agency of Germany, established in 1956.

• Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB)
  

  New Zealand national intelligence service, established in 1977.

• Five Eye Alliance (5VEY or FVEY)
  

  The security partnership between the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand intelligence agencies.

• Special Source Operations (SSO)

  A division of the NSA responsible for overseeing programmes that source their data through "partnerships" with US and overseas-based companies.

• Tailored Access Operations (TAO)

  A division of the NSA, which the agency says is "centred on computer network exploitation".

• Covert Network Threats (CNT1)

A division of the CSE, Covert Network Threats mission is "to produce intelligence on the capabilities, intentions, and activities of Hostile Intelligence Services to support Counterintelligence activities at home and abroad."

• Army Cryptologic Operations : Operations Division
  

  US Army Intelligence unit.

• Network Analysis Centre (NAC)
  

  A joint network technology research unit with branches in the NSA, CSE, and GCHQ.

• Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG)
  

  The Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group is a GCHQ unit focused on cyber forensics, espionage and covert operations.

• Applied Research
  

  Research Unit for the GCHQ.

• Office of SIGINT Development

Division of the NSA, with joint partners from within the five eye network, the SIGINT Development produces research and technology for use in signals intelligence.

• NSA/CSS Europe (NCEUR)
  

  NCEUR is a division of the NSA with a focus in SIGINT in Europe

• Special US Liaison Activity Germany (SUSLAG)
  

  SUSLAG is the NSA liaison to the German intelligence service (BND). It is the parent to the Joint Analysis Center (JAC) and the Joint SIGINT Activity (JSA).

• Joint Analysis Center (JAC)
  

  The Joint Analysis Center, in 2005, comprised of five NSA civilian analysts who are integrated into the German intelligence service (BND).

• Joint SIGINT Activity (JSA)
  

  The Joint SIGINT Activity is a NSA and BND intelligence partnership, operated from the German SIGINT facility Mangfall Kaserne in Bavaria.

• Remote Operations Center (ROC)
  

  In 2006, the NSA announced the opening of a new Remote Operations Center, the "Epicenter for Computer Network Operations." The motto of the ROC is "Your data is our data, your equipment is our equipment – anytime, anyplace, by any legal means."

• Digital Network Crypt Applications (DNCA)
  

  DNCA is a division of the NSA.

• National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
  

  The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. Part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the group brings together specialists from other federal agencies, including the NSA, CIA, the FBI, and the Department of Defense.

• National Information Assurance Research Laboratory (NIARL)
  

  The National Information Assurance Research Laboratory (NIARL) is "responsible for conducting and sponsoring research in technologies and techniques needed to secure America's future information systems."

• European Security Center (ESC)/European Security Operations Center (ESOC)
  

  Under the lead of the NSA, The European Security Center (ESC) is a "fixed site facility that provides provide crisis support to military operations throughout the European Command theater, which includes not only Europe, but also much of Africa and parts of the Middle East." In 2006, the European Security Center (ESC) was transitioned into the European Security Operations Center (ESOC) ­ a NSA lead project to "help build up the Center's capabilities to allow it to assume even greater responsibilities within thew orldwide SIGINT Enterprise."

• European Cryptologic Center (ECC)
  

  The European Cryptologic Center (ECC) is a branch of the NSA in Darmstadt, Germany.

• Cryptanalysis and Exploitation Services is an office of the NSA.
• European Technical Center (ETC)
  

  The European Technical Center (ETC) in Wiesbaden, Germany, is NSA's "primary communication hub in that part of the world, providing communication connectivity, SIGINT collection, and data­flow services to NSAers [and partners]." The center was upgraded in 2011.

• Global Access Operations (GAO) is a division of the NSA responsible for intercepts from satellites and other international SIGINT platforms.

• Menwith Hill Station (MHS)
  

  Menwith Hill Station (MHS) "provides communications and intelligence support services to the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The site contains an extensive satellite ground station and is a communications intercept and missile warning site and has been described as the largest electronic monitoring station in the world." The NSA has led US operations at MHS since 1966.

• Special Collection Service (SCS)
  

  The Special Collection Service (SCS) is a joint U.S. CIA­/NSA program that enables intelligence collection from highly sensitive places, "such as foreign embassies, communications centers, and foreign government installations." The unit combines the "communications intelligence capabilities of the NSA with the covert action capabilities of the CIA in order to facilitate access to sophisticated foreign communications systems."

• NSA/CSS Threat Operations Center (NTOC)
  

  NSA/CSS Threat Operations Center (NTOC) is a division of the NSA with a "blended foreign intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance mission."

• Foreign Affairs Directorate (FAD)
  

  A division of the NSA, the Foreign Affairs Directorate which "acts as liaison with foreign intelligence services, counter­intelligence centers" and the Five Eye partners. The are different offices based on geographic region under FAD.