[ISN] NSA Launches Ad Campaign Urging Secrecy

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Tue Jun 04 2002 - 01:42:44 PDT

  • Next message: InfoSec News: "[ISN] Boston Globe article: Waiting for the security payout"

    http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=34947
    
    [Click on the above URL for links to the posters, the style of 
    the posters is like a modern version of the old deco Navy security
    awareness posters, very cool, I have to wonder if they will be selling
    them at the National Cryptologic Museum gift shop?  - WK]
    
    June 03, 2002
    By Richard Linnett 
    
    NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In a move that hearkens back to World War II's
    "Loose Lips Sink Ships" campaign, the National Security Agency has
    urging military personnel to protect national secrets during this time
    of terrorist crisis.
    
    Created by the NSA's ad agency, Trahan, Burden & Charles, Baltimore,
    the new print campaign uses dramatic patriotic art of miliary
    personnel at work emblazoned with slogans such as "INFORMATION
    SECURITY BEGINS WITH YOU."
    
    Military publications
    
    The public service ads, which have been placed in the Gannett-owned
    Military Times Media Group publications, urge members of the armed
    forces to be careful with sensitive information to prevent its falling
    into the hands of terrorist groups. The Media Group includes The Army
    Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times.
    
    This is the first time the NSA has ever commissioned an outside ad
    campaign, said NSA spokeswomen Marti Mercer. Like all aspects of
    budget for the ultra-secret NSA, the advertising campaign's cost is
    classified.
    
    Wall posters
    
    The ad images have also been used for large wall posters that will be
    hung in military facilities.
    
    A global intelligence-gathering organization and the country's
    premiere code-breaking agency, the NSA provides its information to the
    White House, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, military commanders and other
    agencies of the U.S. intelligence community, including the CIA and the
    FBI.
    
    NSA speaks
    
    Notoriously tight-lipped with the press, the NSA does not usually
    grant interviews. However, the agency did agree to answer a list of
    questions submitted by AdAge.com about its new advertising campaign.  
    An NSA representative sent back the following replies:
    
    
    Q: When did the campaign start? When will it finish?
    
    A: NSA's information security awareness campaign in Military Times
    magazines started in April and is scheduled to end in June.
    
    
    Q: Will it expand beyond the military services? Into consumer
    publications?
    
    A: Our contract is aimed strictly at members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
    
    
    Q: Will it expand into radio or television?
    
    A: There are no plans to expand into any commercial broadcast medium.
    
    
    Q: What's your budget for this campaign?
    
    A: It is NSA policy not to share contractual information.
    
    
    Q: Is this NSA's first ad campaign with a paid media vendor?
    
    A: Yes, although the NSA has an ongoing, active public presence within
    the information assurance, defense and academic communities through
    conferences, distribution of brochures and other materials, vendor and
    government partnerships, and educational programs.
    
    In the aftermath of Sept. 11, NSA initiated the campaign to stress the
    importance of information security during wartime. We hope to increase
    the awareness of military personnel to the absolute necessity of
    guarding sensitive information, using secure communication methods and
    practicing good computer security.
    
    NSA developed a series of four military prints to deliver the
    information security message to decision-makers in the U.S. Armed
    Forces. These prints capture the graphic style of security awareness
    posters used during World War II. In addition, we repackaged these
    same graphics and same message into a series of print ads in Military
    Times, a publication that exclusively targets the American military.  
    This is NSA's first use of these methods to increase information
    security awareness.
    
    
    Q: Who is the ad agency?
    
    A: Trahan, Burden & Charles in Baltimore.
    
    
    Q: What is the aim of the campaign?
    
    A: The objective of the campaign is to underscore the critical need
    for information security to the men and women of the U.S. Armed
    Forces. Part of NSA's mission is "information assurance," the
    protection of the communications and information systems of the U.S.  
    Department of Defense and its allies. To achieve this goal, we use a
    "Defense-in-Depth" strategy, a balanced focus on three primary
    elements: people, technology and operations. This campaign is one
    small part of the training and awareness for the "people" component.  
    Unguarded information can be a valuable source of intelligence to our
    enemies. The increased threat of terrorism has intensified the demand
    for our military personnel to remain vigilant and alert, always on
    guard protecting information that our enemies could use to undermine
    our national security and harm the nation. This campaign is a visible
    reminder of this crucial responsibility.
    
    
    Q: Has it been effective?
    
    A: Because the ad campaign is only one element in the overall training
    and awareness of the U.S. Armed Forces in the area of protecting
    information, it is impossible to gauge its effectiveness accurately.  
    However, the ads are a highly visible reminder to our military
    personnel of their crucial role in protecting information. We believe
    that, as in all successful public awareness initiatives, we will have
    influenced our target audience by using this traditional
    mass-marketing strategy.
    
    NSA believes in the importance of these efforts to raise the awareness
    of our military personnel to this critical element of our warfighting
    and defensive strategies. Our vigilance in protecting information is
    essential to our victory over terrorism and the safe return of our
    fighting men and women.
    
    
    Production Credits:
    NSA Info Security Campaign
    Creative Director: Tom Burden
    Art Director: Steve Ratych
    Copywriter: Dorrie Anshel
    Artist: Richard L. Waldrep
     
    
    
    -
    ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org
    
    To unsubscribe email majordomoat_private with 'unsubscribe isn'
    in the BODY of the mail.
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jun 04 2002 - 04:45:06 PDT