Organization
Multi Audience Tearline
Chief Information Officer
IC CIO Enterprise Integration & Architecture
Multi Audience Tearline
XML Data Encoding Specification for Multi Audience TearlinesOverview
These metadata are used to represent the system-specific properties assigned to an information resource that will be used, in conjunction with information about the user, and possibly other information, to determine the user’s access to the data. A single information resource may include multiple occurrences of these metadata in order to specify MAT information according to multiple, different access systems.
Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.
This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Data Encoding Specification Downloads:
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Mission Requirements
This DES provides a common specification for the means by which a data producer can encode, in their data, the information that an access system needs in order to determine how to grant access. This DES enables a comprehensive capability to appropriately protect data across the enterprise while also allowing access by individuals having appropriate MAT. The nature of the information to be encoded will vary system by system and could include lists of individuals or groups permitted access, descriptions of subject matter in terms defined by the access system, or other traits to be used in evaluating the access an individual has to the data.
This DES provides that common specification. Currently the particulars of any access system’s data needs are not defined. Details for specifying access information and documenting access parameters for particular access systems are to be added in the near future. The systems for which access information will be recorded and constrained will be expanded as their applicability’s are identified to the enterprise.
Information Security Marking Metadata
Chief Information Officer
IC CIO Enterprise Integration & Architecture
Information Security Marking Metadata
Data Encoding Specifications for Information Security Marking MetadataOverview
This IC enterprise data encoding specification defines XML elements and attributes, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, permissible values, and constraint rules for representing electronic information security markings.
This standard supports Executive Order (EO) 13526, Classified National Security Information which “prescribes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information”, across national security disciplines, networks, services, and data.
This standard is a critical technical bridge between:
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Security marking requirements defined by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)/Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO),
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IC security markings register maintained by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)/Controlled Access Program Coordination Office (CAPCO), and
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Information technology solutions that implement structured security marking metadata.
Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.
This specification changed names and numeric designators multiple times since its inception in the late 1990's. Each version listed below supersedes the previous version.
The IC Chief Information Officer maintains this specification via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Data Encoding Specification Downloads
Current Version:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata V9 (ISM.XML.V9) 17 July 12
Prior Versions:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata (ISM.XML), Version 8 (27 Feb 2012)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata (ISM.XML), Version 7 (9 Aug 2011)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata (ISM.XML), Version 6 (11 Apr 2011)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata (ISM.XML), Version 5 (6 Dec 2010)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata (ISM.XML), Version 4 (10 Sep 2010)
Mission Requirements
Information sharing within the national intelligence enterprise will increasingly rely on information assurance metadata (including information security markings) to allow interagency access control, automated exchanges, and appropriate protection of shared intelligence when necessary.
A structured, verifiable representation of security marking metadata bound to the intelligence data is required in order for the enterprise to become inherently “smarter” about the information flowing in and around it. Such a representation, when implemented with other data formats, improved user interfaces, and data processing utilities, can provide part of a larger, robust information assurance infrastructure capable of automating some of the management and exchange decisions today being performed by human beings.
Throughout the intelligence life cycle, the enterprise needs:
- User interfaces and processing logic that helps users and services to reliably assign and manipulate information security markings at the portion and document level.
- Automated rendering of electronic portion markings, security banners, classification authority blocks, and other security control markings in accordance with the IC's classification and control marking system and associated executive orders, statutes, and DNI policies.
- Marking validation to ensure controlled values and business rules are followed.
- Cross-domain discovery, access, and dissemination capabilities based on access policy logic that leverages electronic security markings along with other key metadata about users, services, clearances, and access environments.
Information Resource Metadata
Chief Information Officer
IC CIO Enterprise Integration & Architecture
Information Resource Metadata
Data Encoding Specifications for Information Resource Metadata
Overview
There are two IC enterprise data encoding specifications available for information resource metadata (IRM):
- The first IRM encoding specification is an XML implementation. This specification defines XML elements and attributes, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, permissible values, and constraint rules for representing electronic information resource metadata records.
- The second IRM encoding specification is an HTML implementation. This specification defines HTML meta name/content attribute pairs, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing information resource metadata within an HTML page posted on Intelink. This specification has been in use on Intelink for many years and is known by different names, such as IC HTML.
WARNING: The last release of of the IRM HTML specification was on 22 July 2008. However, the specification has not been substantively updated since 7 March 2006. As such, this specification does not support the latest Controlled Access Program Coordination Office (CAPCO) Register for security markings or any of the recent IRM developments supporting ICD 501 discovery and retrieval, need-to-know access determinations, or IC production metrics. IC elements must recognize and accept the risks associated with using an outdated specification for enterprise information, which may include information that is not discoverable or accessible or even wrongly disseminated to an inappropriate consumer.
Compliance with these specifications are measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.
The IC Chief Information Officer maintains this specification via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Data Encoding Specification Downloads
Current Versions:
Previous Version:
- Implementation Profile for Information Resource Metadata (XML Encoding), Version 7.0. 27 Feb 2012
- Implementation Profile for Information Resource Metadata (XML Encoding), Version 6.0 (14 Dec 2011)
- Implementation Profile for Information Resource Metadata (XML Encoding), Version 5.0 (9 Aug 2011)
- Implementation Profile for Information Resource Metadata (XML Encoding), Version 4.0 (11 Apr 2011)
- Implementation Profile for Information Resource Metadata (XML Encoding), Version 3.0 (6 Dec 2010)
- Implementation Profile for Information Resource Metadata (XML Encoding), Version 2.0 (10 Sep 2010)
Mission Requirements
The IC desires improved capabilities to allow users and systems to discover and access a wide-range of information resources throughout the enterprise regardless of format, type, location, or classification. Making information resources visible, accessible, and understandable will go a long way towards achieving this desire.
Employing a consistent “digital” description (metadata) for all information resources provides enterprise-wide discovery and processing capabilities additional levels of producer-generated summary information that can be used to, among other functions:
- Analyze basic descriptive information across information resources of different formats, types, locations, or classifications.
- Understand who produced the information, when it was published, and what topics are addressed.
- Generate and correlate production metrics in order to better understand collection and analytic postures.
- Further protect the information from undesired dissemination based on classification or need-to-know.
Information resource metadata is commonly incorporated directly into and exchanged with an information resource, such as document properties found within most word processing or imagery formats. Information resource metadata may also be exchanged by itself in situations when the information resource itself cannot be shared, as part of a search result set, or when two library systems are exchanging bibliographic records.
Enterprise Audit
Chief Information Officer
IC CIO Enterprise Integration & Architecture
Enterprise Audit
XML Data Encoding Specification for Enterprise
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Enterprise Audit Exchange (AUDIT.XML) defines detailed specifications for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode AUDIT.XML data in compliance with the Intelligence Community Abstract Data Definition (IC.ADD). This Data Encoding Specification (DES) defines the XML elements and attributes, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing AUDIT.XML data concepts using XML.
This technical specification is linked to Intelligence Community Standard 500-27, Collection and Sharing of Audit Data for Intelligence Community (IC) Information Resources by IC Elements. The technical specification detailed herein is the codification of the payload of an audit record exchange as defined in 500-27. The architecture, interface specifications, design, and implementation of the enterprise audit collection and exchange services are outside the scope of this technical specification. This technical specification only applies to the payload of an audit record exchange.
Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.
This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Data Encoding Specification Downloads
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Previous Version:
Contact Information
Chief Information Officer
IC CIO Enterprise Integration & Architecture
Contact Information
We are very interested in hearing your views on issues of importance to you.Please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions, comments, and concerns of interest to the Intelligence Community Data Coordination Activity (Data Activity).
Someone from the Data Activity staff will respond to your email. As always, we thank you for your time and continued collaboration through the Data Activity.
