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President Reagan Signed Into Law A National Security Decision Directive

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On September 17th, 1984 President Reagan signed into law a national security decision directive, NSDD-145, titled “National Policy on Telecommunications and Automated Information System Security”. Even at that time, the government officials understood that computers were susceptible to interception, unauthorized electronic access, and related form of technical espionage and exploitation. It was noted, that hostile agencies were “extensively” hacking into computers, and that terrorist groups and criminal enterprises had the ability to do the same. The original language in the directive placed the National Security Agency (NSA) in charge of the security of all computers and networks, and, for many civil liberations in Congress that went too far. The directive also created a national Telecommunication and Information Systems Manager “to consider all technical matters” as well as develop procedures for implementing the policy. The NSA director was to become that Manager.
Congress had a substantial issue with that because NSA was forbidden from collecting any data on American citizens, and by charter, its mission was to surveil foreigners. The President’s directive was revised, denying the NSA the National Manager role. It was not until 1987 for Congress to pass a bill, assigning the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), under the Department of Commerce, responsibility for developing standards and guidelines for the security of Federal computer systems, drawing upon technical

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