"At NCTC, we sit in the middle of a Counterterrorism and Homeland Security enterprise that includes the federal government and all of our partners in Washington."
—The Hon. Nicholas J. Rasmussen, Director
The documents below are being released to provide information on NCTC’s use of data. Posting these documents online is consistent with our ongoing transparency initiative—which includes the release of documents to the public as well as a series of privacy and civil liberty symposiums—to enhance our outreach and engagement with advocacy and faith-based groups, national security academics, and other members of the public.
Using Counterterrorism Lessons Learned to Address other Transnational Threats
This paper, written by Russell E. Travers of the National Counterterrorism Center in August 2015, was selected as a finalist in the 2015/2016 Galileo Awards Program. The paper lays out a strategic framework for addressing the most tactical of issues, the challenges posed by transnational bad actors. Galileo is an annual Intelligence-wide competition designed to encourage and recognize innovative workforce ideas that address current challenges and help share the future of U.S. Intelligence.
Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) Fact Sheet - Current as of 30 June 2016
This fact sheet, updated annually, provides a primer on TIDE, the knowledge bank that supports the U.S. Government's terrorist screening systems. Through the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Congress mandated that NCTC establish and manage TIDE.
Memorandum of Understanding between FinCEN and NCTC (redacted)
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) governs NCTC's access to the Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) data collected pursuant to the reporting authority contained in the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). The redacted MOU places restrictions on the NCTC's access and provides protections to the data.
Overview of the Baseline Safeguard Protections Under NCTC’s 2012 Attorney General Guidelines
A White Paper that describes how NCTC has implemented its Attorney General Guidelines-mandated baseline safeguards, as well as the compliance checks/audits of NCTC’s adherence to those safeguards.
Enhanced Safeguards Decision Matrix
The decision matrix used by NCTC in assessing each replicated non-terrorism dataset for potential application of additional, Enhanced Safeguards, over and above the baseline safeguards which are applied to all replicated datasets.
NCTC Compliance Incident Procedures Regarding Data Handling (redacted)
Procedures for reporting, assessing, investigating and resolving compliance incidents relating to NCTC’s handling of data accessed pursuant to various authorities, to include Executive Order 12333 and/or Attorney General-approved Guidelines.
Overview of NCTC’s Data Access as Authorized by the 2012 Attorney General Guidelines
A White Paper detailing the categories of data that NCTC replicates under its Attorney General Guidelines, as well as how this data is used by NCTC to fulfill its counterterrorism mission.
NCTC’s Annual Report on the Access, Retention, Use and Dissemination of United States Person Information For the Period March 23, 2012 through March 31, 2013 (redacted)
NCTC’s first annual report to the ODNI General Counsel and Civil Liberties Protection Officer, as well as the IC Inspector General, on NCTC’s access, retention, use and dissemination of non-terrorism datasets, as required under NCTC’s revised 2012 Attorney General Guidelines.
Memorandum of Agreement Between the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center Regarding Advance Passenger Information System Data (redacted)
The MOA which allows NCTC to gain bulk access to DHS APIS Data, for up to 1 year, which incorporates detailed restrictions on who can access the data and for what purpose, pre-requisite training, processes for ensuring data is up to date, error correction and feedback, independent auditing by DHS, and many other privacy and civil liberties protective provisions.
ODNI White Paper on Civil Liberties and Privacy Protections
A White Paper issued by the ODNI’s Civil Liberties and Privacy Office explaining the civil liberties and privacy protections incorporated into NCTC’s 2012 Attorney General Guidelines.
NCTC Guidelines – Mission Justification Fact Sheet
A short paper explaining NCTC’s counterterrorism mission, as well as the factors that led to revision of NCTC’s Attorney General Guidelines in March 2012.
Historical Reference Documentation
NCTC Attorney General Guidelines
Executive Order 13354 National Counterterrorism Center
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004