Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
Abstract Data Definition
Intelligence Community Abstract Data Definition
Overview
The Intelligence Community Abstract Data Definition (IC.ADD) defines the high-level types of data and metadata that are important to the IC.
The selected or developed physical Data Encoding Specifications established by the IC map to the IC.ADD's abstract data elements providing a means to relate or translate different physical data encodings. The abstract data elements defined in the IC.ADD are not meant to be implementable within enterprise systems. IC elements should implement the physical Data Encoding Specifications that implement these abstract data elements.
This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Latest Approved Public Release:
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
Document and Media Exploitation
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Document and Media Exploitation (DOMEX.XML) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode DOMEX data. This Data Encoding Specification (DES) defines the syntax, protocol and conventions for representing DOMEX data assertion and concepts using XML within the use of a Trusted Data Format (TDF) Object or Collection. This specification applies to the DOMEX Community, which is comprised of Intelligence Community (IC), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Justice (DoJ) components conducting or providing support to the conduct of DOMEX operations, activities, and functions. This specification defines the metadata standards for the uniform exchange of DOMEX.
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Document and Media Exploitation (V2021-NOV - Standalone Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Document and Media Exploitation (V2021-NOV - Convenience Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Document and Media Exploitation (V2021-NOV - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community. Many of these requirements are articulated in IC Directives.
This specification includes design features that address:
- Detailed implementation guidance on using XML to encode DOMEX data.
- Relationship between IC, NMEC
- Relationship between XML Data Encoding Specification for TDF and DOMEX
- Normative vs Informative Conformance issues
- Version Policies
- XML Namespace Policy
- Version Numbering
- Defines relationship between XML structures to abstract terms defined in the ADD
- Additional guidance for encoding data in specific situations
- Addresses relationship between TDO (payload and assertions), TDC, TDF and DOMEX
- TDO Format Overview: relationship between TDF and Metadata Assertions
- TDC Format Overview: relationship between DTC and TDO
- DOMEX schema namespace and respective elements
- Various Date specifications: entryDate; dateAccessed....lastModifiedDate, etc.
- Specification of Locations/Coordinates
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
Information Security Marking Access
Overview
This Access Control Encoding Specification for Information Security Markings (ISM.ACES) defines detailed implementation guidance for providing access to documents based on ISM data. This Access Control Encoding Specification (ACES) defines the use of combinational logic between data and user/entity attributes. This logic is intended to be used in the decisional process of access control decisions based on XML elements and attributes that represent Information Security Markings (ISM) data concepts and the associated user attributes.
The ISM.ACES specification furthers IC Enterprise goals by codifying mappings and combinational logic between data attributes and user/entity attributes to facilitate consistent enterprise-wide Boolean access decisions. Historically, access control decisions have been made in local environments based on local interpretations of agreements and policies resulting in decisions that are not uniform across the entire enterprise. ISM.ACES hopes to reduce the need for such local interpretations and further the goal of improving data exchanges and processing of information by documenting and encoding the enterprise interpretation. ISM.ACES provides both abstract and concrete guidance for making access control decisions. The generic abstract guidance is intended to be used in various contexts for making informed access decision logic, but it is the goal of ISM.ACES to also provide concrete guidance in appendixes or separate annexes for certain contexts.
The presence of ISM data attributes within a data asset specifies that the data asset be controlled by the rules in this ACES and any contextually relevant annexes of this document. This ACES has no need to express information beyond what is already expressed in the ISM attributes. As such, no specific Need-to-Know (NTK) Profile is necessary. This specification describes the mapping of dissemination related data attributes to a user's/person's attributes or a Non-Person Entity’s (NPE's) accreditation that are determined to be sufficient for access and can be used to make informed available and accurate dissemination decisions.
The IC Chief Information Officer maintains this specification via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Entity Specification Tiger Team (ESTT).
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- Access Control Encoding Specification for Information Security Markings (V2021-NOV - Standalone Package)
- Access Control Encoding Specification for Information Security Markings (V2021-NOV - Convenience Package)
- Access Control Encoding Specification for Information Security Markings (V2021-NOV - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
This specification depends on the LATEST technically sound, approved version of XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Security Marking Metadata (ISM.XML)
This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community. Many of these requirements are articulated in IC Directives 208, 209, 500-20, 500-21, 501, 710,and ICPM) - 2007-200-2 among others.
This specification is designed to support the Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) Increment 1 Implementation Plan.
This specification supports common understanding and use of access control encoding for originator controlled mappings to enable overall information sharing strategies and policies of the IC as established in relevant law, policy, and directives.
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
Intelligence Community Only Access Control
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Community Only (ICO.ACES) defines detailed implementation guidance for providing access to ICO data. This specification profile is applicable to the Intelligence Community (IC) and information produced by, stored, or shared within the IC.
This is the first release of the specification and therefore provides no backward capability.
Compliance with this specification is 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 Entity Specification Tiger Team (ESTT).
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
Mission Requirements
This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community. Many of these requirements are articulated in IC policy:
- Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) Increment 1 Implementation Plan
- Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 501, Discovery and Dissemination or Retrieval of Information within the IC
- Intelligence Community Standard (ICS) 500-21, Tagging of Intelligence and Intelligence-Related Information
- Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 208, Write for Maximum Utility
- Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 209, Tearline Production and Dissemination
- Intelligence Community Policy Memorandum (ICPM) 2007-200-2, Preparing Intelligence to Meet the Intelligence Community’s Responsibility to Provide
This specification includes design features that address:
- Addresses the standardization of EA
- Codifies mappings and combinational logic between data attributes and user/entity attributes to facilitate consistent enterprise-wide Boolean access decisions.
- Defines both abstract and concrete guidance for making access control decisions. Addresses components of Control decision(s).
- Addresses components of Control decision(s).
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs
Overview
This CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs (ISMCAT.CES) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode IC Enterprise ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs data. This Controlled Vocabulary Enumerations (CVEs) Specification defines the use of XML elements and attributes for ISMCAT data, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing ISMCAT data concepts using XML. Versions 1 and higher of this Controlled Vocabulary Enumerations (CVE) can be utilized as metadata when dissemination of information is limited solely to members of the Intelligence Community.
IC Enterprise encoding specifications use Controlled Vocabulary Enumerations (CVEs) to define allowable values for various elements and attributes used and over time, several encoding specifications became dependent on the same list of values, and dual (or more) maintenance was required to keep the lists aligned. Any changes to a specification's CVEs caused an entire new version of that specification to be created. In order to remove the need for dual maintenance and to remove the need to revision a specification when a CVE was updated, a new type of encoding specification, the CVE Encoding Specification, was created to decouple the vocabulary from the specifications.
This specification contains tagging structures for information resource metadata, mixed textual and media content found in the body of publications, source reference citations, classification and control markings, and knowledge assertions.
Compliance with this specification is 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 Standards Coordination Activity (DSCA) and Entity Specification Tiger Team (ESTT).
Latest Approved Public Release:
- CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs (V2022-NOV - Standalone Package)
- CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs (V2022-NOV - Convenience Package)
- CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs (V2022-NOV - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
This encoding specification defines how to implement the abstract data elements in the IC.ADD in a particular physical encoding (e.g., data or file format).
This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community. Many of these requirements are articulated in IC Directives 208, 209, 500-20, 500-21, 501, 710, and ICPM- 2007-200-2 among others.
This specification is designed to support the Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) Increment 1 Implementation Plan.
This specification supports common understanding and use of access control encoding for originator controlled mappings to enable overall information sharing strategies and policies of the IC as established in relevant law, policy, and directives.
IC Implementations shall conform to this specification and MUST adhere to all normative aspects of the specification.



