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"Top Secret Umbra" I haven't seen that code word since I worked at a communications monitoring site in Turkey in 1977. I never could have imagined seeing it on

"Top Secret Umbra" I haven't seen that code word since I worked at a communications monitoring site in Turkey in 1977. I never could have imagined seeing it on a document released to the public. Time does change things.

apaprocki 14y ago
To save everyone some Google queries, "UMBRA is the highest-level compartment of the three compartments of Special Intelligence—the euphemism for COMINT. The lower level compartments are MORAY and SPOKE."
- dfc 14y ago
  Wrong tense, "UMBRA was..."
  - maaku 14y ago
    Really? Just because these documents were unclassified, doesn't mean UMBRA is no longer in use.
    - dm2 14y ago
      According to Wikipedia's sources it is no longer being used. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_Compartmented_Information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_Compartmented_Informa...
    - Dove 14y ago
      Well, per http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/dod_dictionary/ http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/dod_dictionary/, a code word is A word that has been assigned a classification and a classified meaning to safeguard intentions and information regarding a classified plan or operation. That is to say, the meaning of a code word is generally classified. It's not just a convenient label; its purpose is to obfuscate even the general intent behind . . . whatever's going on under that umbrella. If they think it's been compromised--that is, if they think someone has figured out UMBRA=COMINT--they'll generally change it. If it's made it all the way onto Wikipedia, they probably changed it long ago. And if it isn't redacted in declassified materials, they definitely changed it long ago. Though it's always possible that they just don't care anymore. Sometimes programs persist under their code words long after what they're doing isn't classified anymore.
alvarosm 14y ago
Well... half the pages are half-redacted. It's not like they're releasing much of the information that justified the classification anyway.

apaprocki 14y ago

To save everyone some Google queries, "UMBRA is the highest-level compartment of the three compartments of Special Intelligence—the euphemism for COMINT. The lower level compartments are MORAY and SPOKE."

dfc 14y ago
Wrong tense, "UMBRA was..."
- maaku 14y ago
  Really? Just because these documents were unclassified, doesn't mean UMBRA is no longer in use.
  - dm2 14y ago
    According to Wikipedia's sources it is no longer being used. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_Compartmented_Information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_Compartmented_Informa...
  - Dove 14y ago
    Well, per http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/dod_dictionary/ http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/dod_dictionary/, a code word is A word that has been assigned a classification and a classified meaning to safeguard intentions and information regarding a classified plan or operation. That is to say, the meaning of a code word is generally classified. It's not just a convenient label; its purpose is to obfuscate even the general intent behind . . . whatever's going on under that umbrella. If they think it's been compromised--that is, if they think someone has figured out UMBRA=COMINT--they'll generally change it. If it's made it all the way onto Wikipedia, they probably changed it long ago. And if it isn't redacted in declassified materials, they definitely changed it long ago. Though it's always possible that they just don't care anymore. Sometimes programs persist under their code words long after what they're doing isn't classified anymore.

alvarosm 14y ago

Well... half the pages are half-redacted. It's not like they're releasing much of the information that justified the classification anyway.