NSA's organizational designations

(Updated: August 22, 2016)

After providing lists of NSA-related http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /p/nicknames-and-codewords.html">codenames, http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /p/abbreviations-and-acronyms.html">abbreviations and http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /p/sigint.html">SIGADs, we now publish a list of the designations of the numerous divisions and units of the NSA organization itself.

Unlike other intelligence agencies such as CIA or DIA, NSA never disclosed its internal organizational structure. The following overview has been reconstructed based upon information which over the years became available from various sources, including many documents from the Snowden-leaks.

This list only gives the alphanumeric designations, the official name and, if available, the logo of NSA branches. For a description of what the most important divisions do, click the links in the list or visit the websites mentioned under Links and Sources.

In 2013, the following numbers of people worked for NSA/CSS:
- NSA: ca. 21,500 civilian personnel and ca. 13,500 military personnel
- CSS (tactical SIGINT collection units): ca. 12,000 military personnel

> Update: In 2016, a major internal reorganization of NSA was initiated

Go to the directorate designated by: D E F I K L M Q R S T V X

The NSA headquarters buildings at Fort Meade, Maryland
(Photo: AFP/Paul J. Richards)

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY (NSA)


D: Office of the Director

D0: Director's Staff

D01: Director’s Operation Group (DOG)
D05: Director’s Secretariat
D07: Office of Protocol
D08: Homeland Security Support Office (HSSO)

D1: Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

D14: ?

D2: Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

D21: Intelligence Law
D22: Legislation
D23: Administrative Law and Ethics
D24: ?
...
D28: Litigation and Management

D4: Office of the Director of Compliance (ODOC)

D5: Corporate Assessments Office

D5T: Technology Test and Evaluation

D6: Office of Equal Employment Oppertunity

D7: Central Security Service (CSS)

D709: CSS Staff and Resources
D7D: Cryptologic Doctrine Office
D7P: Office of Military Personnel
D7R: Director's Reserve Forces Advisor

D8: Community ELINT Management Office (CEMO)

D9 : ?

DA: Directorate of Acquisition/Senior Acquisition Executive (SAE)

DB: Corporate Strategy

DC: Director’s Chief of Staff

DC0: Support
DC3: Policy

DC31: Corporate Policy
DC32: Information Policy

DC321: Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (FOIA/PA)
DC322: Information Security and Records Management

DC3221: Information Security Policy
DC3223: Records Management Policy

DC323: Automated Declassification Services

DC33: Technology Security, Export, and Encryption Policy

DC4: Corporate Strategic Planning and Performance
DC6: External Relations & Communications
DC8: Corporate Management Services

DE: Unified Cryptologic Architecture Office (OCAO)
DF: Chief Financial Manager (CFM)
DJ: Policy and Records Office

DJ4: Freedom of Information and Privacy Office

DK: Chief Information Officer (CIO)
DL: Legislative Affairs Office (LAO)
DN: NSA Public Affairs Office (PAO)

DN1: ?

DP: Foreign Affairs Directorate (FAD)

DP09: FAD Staff
...
DP11: Second Party Affairs Office
DP13: Central/Eastern Europe Office
...
DP21: Information Assurance?

DT: Office of the Chief Technical Officer (CTO)

E: Associate Directorate for Education and Training (ADET)

El: Educational Services and Staff
E2: Educational Technology Integration
E3: Language
E4: Intelligence Analysis and Information Assurance
E5: Signals Analysis, Cryptanalysis, and Math
E6: ?

E63: ?

E9: ?

E92: ?

EL: Center for Leadership and Professional Development

F: Field sites

F1: Cryptologic Services Groups (CSGs)

F1C: ?

F1CA: Cryptologic Services Group USSTRATCOM
F1CD: Life Cycle Logistics

F1CD1: Technical Services Group

F1I: ?

F1I2: Joint Interagency Task Force South

F1T: ?

F1T1: Cryptologic Services Group USSOCOM

F1Z: Cryptologic Services Group CENTCOM

F1Z2: Deputy Chief, CSG CENTCOM

F2: NSA/CSS Europe and Africa (NCEUR)

F20: ?

F202: NSA unit in Stuttgart Vaihingen, Germany
F204: Support to Military Operations for AFRICOM

F22: European Cryptologic Center (ECC) near Darmstadt, Germany
F23: NCER Mons, Belgium

F25: European Technical Center (ETC) in Wiesbaden, Germany

F28: Special US Liaison Activity Germany (SUSLAG) in Bad Aibling, Germany

F3: ?

F313: Combined Group Germany (CGG) in Augsburg, Germany

F32: ?

F4: ?

F411: Military Operations Branch

F5: Liaison Support Groups

F51: Liaison Support Group at CIA

F6: Special Collection Service (SCS)

F666E: (SCS unit in the US embassy in Berlin?)

F7: ?

F74: Meade Operations Center (MOC)

F741: Deployments & Training Division
F74?: Special Operations Readiness Cell (SORC)

F77: Menwith Hill Station (MHS)

F77F: Menwith Hill unit

F78: RAINFALL

F79: ?

F79F: Misawa Security Operations Center (MSOC)

F7A: Alaskan Mission Operations Center (AMOC)

F7U: Utah Regional Operations Center (UROC)

F8: ?

F81: Bad Aibling Station, Germany (-2004)

F83: RAF Menwith Hill (1966-present)

F9: ?

F91: ?

FC: NSA/CSS Colorado (NSAC)

FCS: Signals Intelligence Department, Colorado

FG: NSA/CSS Georgia (NSAG)

FGD: Director, Georgia
FGS: Signals Intelligence Department, Georgia

FGS2F: SW Asia Narcotics

FGS3: Transnational issues group
FG32: ?

FG3223: Media Exploitation & Analysis

FGT3322: ISR Support Team

FGT342: ISR Support Team

FGV: Threat Operations Center, Georgia

FH: NSA/CSS Hawaii (NSAH)

FHQ: Security Department, Hawaii

FHS: Signals Intelligence Department, Hawaii

FHS21: ?

FHS212: ?

FHT: Technology Department, Hawaii

FHT322: Office of Information Sharing
FHT332: IT Customer Solutions

FHV: Threat Operations Center, Hawaii

FHX: ?

FHX4: ?

FT: NSA/CSS Texas (NSAT)

FTS: Signals Intelligence Department, Texas

FTS2: Analysis and Production

FTS2F1 - "Southern Arc"

FTS3: Data Acquisition

FTS32: Tailored Access Operations

FTS327: Requirements & targeting

FTV: Threat Operations Center, Texas

I: INFORMATION ASSURANCE DIRECTORATE (IAD)
(ca. 3000 employees)

I0: Chief of Staff

I01: Office of Policy

I2: Trusted Engineering Solutions

I209: Support Staff

I21: Architecture
I22: Engineering
I23: ?

I231: HAIPE Program Management Office (PMO)

I2N: National Nuclear Command Capabilities (N2C2) Mission

I3: Operations

I31: Current Operations
I33: Remote & Deployed Operations
I3?: Mission Integration Office
I3?: Technical Security Evaluations
I3?: Red Cell
I3?: Blue Cell
I3?: Advanced Adversary Network Penetration Cell
I3?: Joint Communications Security Monitoring

I4: Fusion, Analysis and Mitigation

I4 ?

I412: ?

I5: ?

I54: ?

I542: ?
I543: ?

I7: ?

I73: ?

I735: ?

I8: ?

I82: ?

I823: ?

I8231: Microelectronics Anti-Tamper Solutions

I85: ?

I853: Cryptographic Engines, Modules, and Tokens

IE: Engagement
IS: Strategy
IC: Cyber Integration
IV: Oversight and Compliance

K: National Security Operations Center (NSOC)

K?: SIGINT Mission Management (SMM)

K??: [...] SIGINT Mission Management (APSMM)
K??: [...] SIGINT Mission Management (CRSMM)
K?: Counter-Terrorism Mission Management Center (CTMMC)

K9: Capabilities and Sustaining Systems (CASS)

K92: Current Capabilities for Mission Management (C2M2)

L: Associate Directorate for Installations and Logistics (ADIL)

L0: I&L Staff
LF: Facilities Services

LFl: Space Management and Facilities Planning
LF2: ?
LF3: Operations, Maintenance and Utilities
LF4: ?
LF5: Program Management

LL: Logistics Services

LL1: Material Management
LL2: Transportation, Asset, and Disposition Services
LL3: Employee Morale Services

M: Associate Directorate for Human Resource Services (ADHRS)

MA: Office of Workforce Strategies
MB: Office of Recruitment and Staffing
MC: Office of Diversity Management (ODM)
MD: Office of Human Resource Program Management & Service
ME: Office of Occupational Health, Environmental & Safety Services (OHESS)
MG: Office of Global Human Resource Services
M2: Office of Military Personnel
M3: Office of Civilian Personnel
M4: ?

M43: Information Policy Division

MJ: ?

MJ1: HR operations/global personnel SA

Q: Associate Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence (ADS&CI)

Q0: Staff

Q05: Security Operations Center (SOC)
Q07: NSA Counterintelligence Center (NSACC)
Q09: Security Support Staff

Q1: Office of Physical Security

Q123: ?

Q2: Office of Personnel Security

Q223: Counterintelligence Awareness

Q3: Investigations Division

Q31: ?

Q311: Counterintelligence Investigations
Q312: Compromise Investigations Branch

Q5: Office of Security

Q509: Security Policy Staff

Q51: Physical Security Division
Q52: Field Security Division
Q55: NSA CCAO
Q56: Security Awareness
Q57: Polygraph

Q7: Counterintelligence

QJ: Joint Program Security Office

R: Research Associate Directorate (RAD or RD)

R1: Math & Research
R2: Trusted Systems Research

R21: Cryptographic IA Research

R211: ?
...
R213: High Confidence Software and Systems (HCSS)?

R22: IA Engineering Research

R222: ?
R223: Research Integration
R224: ?
R225: ?

R23: Defense Computing Research

R3: Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS)
R4: Laboratory for Telecom Services (LTS)
R5: Language Study
R6: Computer Information and Science

R64: ?
R66E: Human Language Technology Research
R66F: JHU
R67: Human Language Technology
R6?: Coping with Information Overload Office
R6?: Disruptive Technologies Office (DTO)

RX: Special Access Research
RV: Oversight and Compliance

S: SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE (SID)
(ca. 24.000 employees)

S0: SID Staff

S01: Deputy for Integrated Planning

S012: ?

S0121: SID Communications

S02: Communications and Support Operations

S0231: SID Policy Staff
...
S0242: ?

S02L: ?

S02L1: SIGINT Policy

S1: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

S11: Customer Gateway

S111: (Desk for coordinating RFIs and responses)
S112: DEA Account Manager

S12: Information Sharing Services Branch

S12?: Partnership Dissemination Cell (PDC)
S124: Staff Services Division
S12R: SID Reporting Board

S17: Strategic Intelligence Issues
S1E: Electromagnetic Space Program Management Office
S1N: ?

S1N2: ?
S1N3: ?

S1P: Plans & Exercises Division

S1P2: EUCOM/NATO/SOUTHCOM/AFRICOM Branch

S2: ANALYSIS and PRODUCTION (A & P)

S20: A&P Staff

S202B: Analytic Technologies for the Enterprise
S203A: Access Interface Portfolio

S23: Human Language Technology
S24: ?

S2413: Center for Time-Sensitive Information

S2A: South Asia Product Line

...
S2A4: USA
S2A5: (South-Asia)

S2A51: S-A Language Analysis Branch
S2A52: S-A Reporting Branch

S2B: China, Korea, Taiwan Product Line
S2C: International Security Issues (ISI) Product Line

S2C13: Strategic Partnerships & Energy SIGDEV
...
S2C21: ?
...
S2C32: European States Branch
...
S2C41: http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /2013/09/an-nsa-eavesdropping-case-study.html">Mexico Leadership Team
S2C42: http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /2013/09/an-nsa-eavesdropping-case-study.html">Brazilian Leadership Team
...
S2C51: ?
S2C52: (United Nations?)*

S2D: Counter Foreign Intelligence Product Line
S2E: Middle East and Africa (MEA) Product Line
S2F: International Crime & Narcotics (ICN) Product Line

S2F1: ("Southern Arc"?)

S2G: Counter Proliferation (CP) Product Line

S2G21: Office of Proliferation and Arms Control
...
S2G6: Office of Combating Proliferation

S2H: Russia Product Line
S2I: Counter-Terrorism (CT) Product Line

S2I11: Al-Qa'ida Leadership and Target Pursuit Branch
S2I13: Global Jihad Support Network Branch

S2I2: Middle East and Iraq Division
S2I3: ?

S2I35: ? (related to RC-135U?)

S2I4: Homeland Security Analysis Center (HSAC)

S2I41: Branch Management
S2I42: Hezbollah Team
S2I43: NOM Team

S2I5: Advanced Analysis Division (AAD)

S2I51: ?

S2I?: Metadata Analysis Center (MAC)
S2IX: Special CT Operations

S2J: Weapons and Space Product Line
S2T: Current Threats
S2S: ?

Communications Event Analysis Center (CEAC)

S3: DATA ACQUISITION

S31: Cryptanalysis and Exploitation Services (CES)

S310: ?

S31091: Military Operations Branch

S311: Office of Target Pursuit (OTP)

S31122: ?

S31131: Exploitation branche
S31133: Exploitation branche
S31142: Exploitation branche
S31143: Exploitation branche

S3117: Cryptanalytic Exploitation & Discovery

S31171: PRC, N-Korea, SE Asia, Japan
S31172: Iran, Hamas, Iraqu, Saudi Arabia
S31173: Africa, Levant, Latin America, USA, USA, Afghanistan
S31174: Russia, Counter-Intek, Europe, FTM
S31175: Cross-Target Support Branch
S31176: Custom Thread Development for Network Encryption
S31177: TRANSGRESSION

S31??: Technical Exploitation Center (TEC)

...
S312: ?

S31213: Network Security Products
...
S31241: Attack Services
S31243: LONGHAUL/C2DP?

S313: Requirements and Thread Management (or Exploitation Solutions Office)

S3132: Protocol Exploitation and Dissemination

S31322: Digital Network Crypt Applications (DNCA)
S31323: ?

S314: ?

S316: Target Reconaissance and Survey

S3161: Special Deployments Division

S32: Tailored Access Operations (TAO)

S321: Remote Operations Center (ROC)

S321?: Network Ops Center (NOC)
S321?: Oper. Readiness Division (ORD)
S321?: Interactive Ops Division (IOD)
S321?: Production Ops Division (POD)
S321?: Access Ops Division (AOD)

S322: Advanced Network Technology (ANT)

S3221: (persistence software)
S3222: (software implants)

S32221: ?
S32222: (routers, servers, etc.)

S3223: (hardware implants)
S3224: ?

S32241: ?
S32242: (GSM cell)
S32243: (radar retro-refl.)

S323: Data Network Technologies (DNT)

S32354: STDP (FASHIONCLEFT)
...
S32361: ?

S324: Telecomm. Network Technologies (TNT)
S325: Mission Infrastructure Technologies (MIT)
S327: Requirements & Targeting (R&T)
S326: Access Operations

S3261: Access and Target Development

S328: Access Technologies & Operations (ATO)

S3283: Expeditionary Access Operations (EAO)
...
S3285: Persistance POLITERAIN team

S32P: TAO Program Planning Integration
S32?: Network Warfare Team (NWT)
S32X: ?

S33: http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /2013/12/nsas-global-interception-network.html#fornsat">Global Access Operations (GAO) (or Link Access Programs)

S331: FORNSAT?

S332: Terrestrial SIGINT

S33221: ?
S33223: Processing Systems Engineering and Integration Sector

S333: Overhead SIGINT

S333?: Overhead Collection Management Center (OCMC)

S33P: Portfolio Management Office (PMO)

S33P1: ?
S33P2: Technology Integration Division
S33P3: Tactical SIGINT Technology Office

S33?: CROSSHAIR Network Management Center (CNMC)

S34: Target Strategies and Mission Integration (TSMI)

S342: Collection Coordination and Strategies

S3421: ?
S3422: Geographical Regions
S3423: Technical Services

S343: Targeting and Mission Management
S344: Partnership and Enterprise Management

S35: http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /2013/12/nsas-global-interception-network.html#largecable">Special Source Operations (SSO)

S350: ?

S35093: Target Exploitation Program

S351: ?

S3516: JUBILEECORONA?

S352: ?

S3520: Office of Target Reconaissance and Survey (OTRS)
S3521: Special Signal Collection unit (MUSKETEER)

S353: ?

S3531: PRISM? Mission Management
S3532: PRINTAURA?
S3533: ?

S35333: http://profsmythe.blogspot.com /2013/07/new-insights-into-prism-program.html">PRISM Collection Management

S35?: Operations and Discovery Division

S35??: Environmental Analysis Branch

S35P: Portfolio Management Office

S35P2: Technical Integration Division
S35P3: Capabilities Integration Division

S3C: Collection Strategies and Requirements Center (CSRC)

S3M2: (Media Leaks Task Force?)

S3W: Wireless Portfolio Management Office (WPMO)

SSG: SIGDEV Strategy and Governance

SSG1: ?

SSG13: ?

SSG2: ?

SSG21: Net Pursuit Network Analysis Center
SSG22: Network Analysis Center (NAC)
...
SSG??: Target Analysis Center (TAC)

SSG4: Target Technology Trends Center (T3C)

SE: SIGINT & Electronic Warfare

SV: Oversight and Compliance

SV2: Training

SV21: Access Oversight Training and Strategic Guidance

SV3: Compliance Verification

SV4: FISA Authorities Division

SV41: ?
SV42: Special FISA Oversight and Processing
SV43: ?

T: TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE

TE: Enterprise Systems
TS: Information and Systems Security
TT: Independent Test and Evaluation

T1: Mission Capabilities

T1?: Strategic SATCOM Security Engineering Office
T11: ?

T111: TUTELAGE
T112: TURMOIL
T113: TUMULT

T12: Analytic Capabilities

T121: ?

T1211: ?
...

T122: Knowledge Services

T1221: Center for Content Extraction (CCE)
T1222: Enrichment Center/Operations

T13: ?

T132: Structured Repositories

T14: ?

T1412: (TURBINE team?)
...
T1422: Identifier Scoreboard
...
T1442: ?

T2: Business Capabilities

T3: Enterprise IT Services

T314: End User Solutions

T32: ?

T3212: Workflow, Standards and Support
...
T3221: Transport Field Services (TFS)

T332: Global Enterprise Command Center (GECC)

T332?: Data and Network Operations
T332?: NSA Communications Center
T332?: NISIRT (contains CERT and CSIRT)

T333: ?

T3332: Data Operations Center (DOC)

T334: National Signals Processing Center (NSPC)
T335: Deployable Communications Operations (DCO)
T33?: National Intelligence and Tactical Operations (NITO)

T5: High Performance Computing (HPC) Center

T53: HPC Integration and Production

T532: CA Databases

T5323: LONGHAUL team

T6: Ground Systems Program Office

T9: ?

T99: ?

TV: Office of compliance

V: NSA/CSS Threat Operations Center (NTOC)

V07: ?

V2: Office of Analysis

V22: ?

V222: ?
V225: ?

V23: ?
V24: ?
V25: ?

V252: ?

V26: ?

V3: Office of Operations

V32: Defensive Network Operations
V33: ?
V34: Next Generation Wireless Exploitation Program
V35: ?

V4: Technology Development Support

V43: Cyper Profiling and Operations Support
...
V45: Office of Technology Development

VS: ?

VV: NTOC Oversight and Compliance (NOC)

X: ?

X3: ?

X31: ?

X312: Planning & Management

X32: ?

? Associate Directorate for Policy and Records (ADPR)


? NSA/CSS Commercial Solutions Center (NCSC)

 
The 2000 reorganization

In the year 2000, then director Michael Hayden reorganized much of NSA's organizational structure. For this the NSA Transformation Office (NTO) was established and the directorates of Operations and of Technology were merged into the Signals Intelligence Directorate (SID).

Also new officers were appointed, like a Chief Financial manager, a Chief Information Officer (CIO), a Senior Acquisition Executive (SAE) and a Transformation Officer. Around the same time, many NSA divisions and units got new designations.

Also in 2000, a Senior Leadership team was formed, consisting of the Director (DIRNSA), the Deputy Director and the Directors of the Signals Intelligence (SID), the Information Assurance (IAD) and the Technology Directorate (TD). The chiefs of other main NSA divisions became Associate Directors of the Senior Leadership team.

  
The 2016 reorganization

In 2016, NSA director Michael Rogers initiated a reorganization under the name NSA21, which has to prepare the agency for "cyber" challenges. One of the most important changes will be to replace the Signals Intelligence (SID) and Information Assurance (IAD) directorates by a new Directorate of Operations that combines the operational elements of each.

Also the other existing branches will be reorganized into the following 6 new directorates:

- Workforce and Support Activities
- Business Management and Acquisition
- Engagement and Policy
- Operations
- Capabilities
- Research

Links and Sources
- Observer.com: REORG: How Not to Fix American Intelligence
- NSA: NSA21: Facing Threats to the Nation and Future Challenges with Innovation, Integration, and a Focus on Talent
- Washington Post: National Security Agency plans major reorganization
- Cryptome.org: NSA Salaries 2014
- Marc Ambinder's The NSA's org chart
- TheWeek.com: The NSA's org chart
- MatthewAid.com: Updated NSA Order of Battle
- William M. Arkin Online: NSA Tailored Access Operations
- Independent.co.uk: Inside the NSA: Peeling back the curtain on America's intelligence agency
- TheAtlantic.com: An Educated Guess About How the NSA Is Structured
- GovernmentAttic.org: Extract of pages from the NSA's intranet, 2005 (pdf)
- Cryptome.org: NSA Overhauls Corporate Structure in Effort to Improve Operations (2000)