Mum's the word on NSA ads

[R. A. Hettinga]

http://asp.washtimes.com/printarticle.asp?action=print&ArticleID=20020604-17566840


The Washington Times
www.washtimes.com
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Mum's the word on NSA ads
 Donna De Marco
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Published 6/4/2002


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     The government's most secretive agency is advertising - about secrecy.
     The National Security Agency has begun an ad campaign urging military
personnel to keep quiet about national secrets.
     But in typical NSA fashion, it is staying hush-hush about the ads.
AdAge.com, the online version of the trade publication Advertising Age,
reported details of the campaign yesterday.
     The ads, which use the tagline "Information Security Begins With You,"
are running in military publications, urging U.S. armed forces to protect
the government's communications and information systems.
     The four ads are reminiscent of the "Loose lips sink ships" posters
during World War II that promoted patriotism, national security and war
bonds, according to a press release from Trahan, Burden & Charles (TBC),
the Baltimore agency behind the new NSA ads.
     Nobody at NSA can talk about the campaign until tomorrow, a
spokeswoman said, because the office was busy with another event.
     TBC officials aren't saying much more. Except for the press release
sent to The Washington Times yesterday morning, the agency had no comment.
     The ads are running in the Military Times Media Group's four weekly
publications: Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps
Times. Similar posters are being used in a "direct mail tactic to reach
military decision-makers as a lasting reminder of the ongoing importance of
protecting secure communications," according to the release.
     The supersecret government agency is made up of the country's best
code makers and code breakers. The agency's mission is to protect U.S.
information systems and gather foreign intelligence.
     NSA agreed to answer a list of questions submitted by AdAge, and the
responses appeared yesterday on the publication's Web site.
     "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 told
AdAge.
     "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."
     NSA initiated the campaign after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The ads, which started running in April, are scheduled to appear through
this month, according to the report.
     "This is more than advertising," TBC co-founder Tom Burden said in the
ad agency's press release. "This is service to our country and we are
honored to have the opportunity to contribute during this unique and
challenging time in our country's history."
     Neither party would release financial details about the ad campaign.

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R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

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