SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE
UNITED STATES SENATE

Post-hearing Questions For
Lieutenant General Timothy D. Haugh
upon his nomination to be
Director of the National Security Agency

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QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD
From Vice Chairman Rubio
General Oversight
1. How will you ensure that the Committee maintains current and full awareness of the
National Security Agency’s (NSA’s) activities and intelligence reporting?
If confirmed, I will be committed to keeping the congressional intelligence
committees fully and currently informed of NSA’s intelligence activities, as it is not
appropriate to withhold information that is within the jurisdiction of any
congressional committee. I, and my delegates, will provide the information
necessary to keep the Committee currently and fully aware, to include following
established procedures for briefing the most sensitive matters.
2. Will you commit to us that you will be responsive to Committee requests for
briefings and meetings, and ensure that we are notified in a timely manner of
significant activities within our jurisdiction?
Yes, I commit to being responsive to Committee requests and ensuring timely
notifications of significant activities within the Committee’s jurisdiction.
3. If asked by the Committee, will you provide the sourcing behind the NSA’s finished
products and assessments?
If confirmed, I commit to accommodating the Committee’s need for information in
order for the Committee to perform its critical oversight function.
4. If asked by the Committee, will you provide the raw reporting that underpins IC
finished products and assessments?
If confirmed, I commit to accommodating the Committee’s need for information in
order for the Committee to perform its critical oversight function.
5. Do you commit to ensuring that this Committee has access to all intelligence
activities under your purview?
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If confirmed, I commit to keeping the Committee fully and currently informed of all
of NSA’s intelligence activities.
6. As the Deputy Commander of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), what steps
have you taken to grow the Command to be a self-sufficient organization? What
more is needed to be done to have an independent organization?
As Deputy Commander, I have worked to ensure that CYBERCOM is properly
resourced and manned and enabled to operate in conjunction with others under
delegations of authority, mission direction, and policy guidance necessary for
effectiveness in the domain. I reinforce clear guidance in the planning process to
develop options that draw first upon CYBERCOM capabilities and authorities while
also working effectively in concert with NSA, the interagency and partners. I have
been an advocate across the Department and with the Services to address shortfalls
in readiness, manning, and training of the cyber mission forces and am also an
advocate for expanded intelligence support to cyber to enhance our mission
effectiveness. If confirmed, I will continue to work toward further improvements
for CYBERCOM in readiness, training, and capability development, as well as
seeking to apply enhanced budget control responsibilities to improve the
Department’s efficiency and coherence in its acquisition and cyber investments.
The overlapping nature of the intelligence and cyber operating domains with the
other warfighting domains is such that I believe the best outcomes for the Nation
cannot be achieved separately and independently by any one organization.
CYBERCOM can bring the best results for the Nation in close operating relationship
with NSA, other mission organizations within the Department, the IC, the
interagency, the private sector, and foreign partners.
7. Given the multiple organizations you will be leading, if confirmed, how can you
assure us that NSA will receive focused leadership and attention, particularly given
your legacy leadership role with CYBERCOM?
If confirmed, I will be responsible and accountable for the mission effectiveness of
both organizations. Such responsibility and accountability will naturally drive me to
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give full and proper attention to NSA. My current leadership role with
CYBERCOM and my familiarity and knowledge of its leadership, its mission,
strengths and weaknesses means that I will be well positioned to comfortably
delegate and direct its activities efficiently; enabling time management and focus
necessary to NSA’s global enterprise.
8. How do you intend to advance NSA’s relationship with other large Intelligence
Community agencies, notably the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA),
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?
Interagency collaboration is paramount for NSA’s mission success. If confirmed, I
will further assess the current status of NSA’s relationships with each of the noted
agencies, and partner with other agency heads to identify further opportunities to
improve integration and collaboration across the IC.
9. Do you believe NSA’s defensive cybersecurity mission is appropriately
resourced? What changes do you intend to make as to how that mission is
executed?
NSA devotes an entire directorate to the Agency’s cybersecurity mission to ensure
NSA is postured to contribute to the protection of National Security Systems (NSS),
the DoD, the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), and other customers of the Agency’s
cybersecurity products and services, which includes the dissemination of cyber
threat intelligence. If confirmed, I will assess the resource posture and mission
execution of NSA’s defensive cybersecurity mission.
From Senator Wyden
Definition of Signals Intelligence
1. During your hearing, you testified that:
“In terms of where the definition of signals intelligence [is] defined, it's defined in
National Security Council Intelligence Directives, in E.O. 12333 and in the United
States SIGINT systems intelligence directives. They are all very consistent in terms
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of what comprises SIGINT in terms of communications intelligence, electronic
intelligence, and foreign instrumentation signals intelligence. So, I think there is a
common definition that is aligned across the executive branch.”
Please identify precisely the definition of signals intelligence that you believe
applies across the executive branch.
The definition of signals intelligence applicable to NSA is found in DoDM S5240.01-A (the SIGINT Annex) that, at Section 1.2, defines SIGINT to include,
individually or in combination, communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic
intelligence (ELINT), and foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT).
Reverse Targeting
1. During his confirmation process, now former Assistant Attorney General for
National Security John Demers was asked about the prohibition on reverse targeting
in Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). He responded:
“As I understand it, determining whether a particular known U.S. person has been
reverse targeted through the targeting of a Section 702 target necessitates a fact
specific inquiry that would involve consideration of a variety of factors. For
example, as the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board noted in its 2014
report, if a Section 702 tasking resulted in substantial reporting by the Intelligence
Community regarding a U.S. person, but little reporting about the Section 702
target, that might be an indication that reverse targeting may have occurred.”

During his confirmation process, current General Counsel for the Office of the
Director of National Intelligence Christopher Fonzone was asked about this
formulation. He responded: “My understanding of how IC entities make reversetargeting determinations aligns with the view that Assistant Attorney General
Demers expressed during his confirmation process – i.e., that such determinations
are fact-specific and necessitate the evaluation of a variety of factors.”
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Does your understanding of the framework for determining whether reverse
targeting has occurred comport with that of Mr. Demers and Mr. Fonzone?
If yes, how should NSA implement this process, with regard to targeting under both
Section 702 of FISA and E.O. 12333?
My understanding of whether reverse targeting has occurred comports with that of
Mr. Demers and Mr. Fonzone. Reverse targeting is strictly prohibited at NSA under
both Section 702 of FISA and E.O. 12333. NSA reinforces this prohibition on
reverse targeting through training, which is mandatory for all analysts with access to
SIGINT data. Additionally, my understanding is that the Department of Justice
reviews 100% of NSA’s Section 702 targeting requests and reviews Section 702derived serialized reporting containing U.S. person identities.

From Senator Lankford
Iran’s Capabilities
The Iranian regime, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, continues to pose grave
threats to U.S. interests and persons globally.
1. If confirmed, how do you plan to prioritize and tackle Iranian regime threats against
the U.S., our interests, and our allies?
Threats to our Nation’s security are numerous – Iran continues to attempt to coerce
the region with both conventional and cyber weapons. I have seen firsthand that
NSA effectively aligns its collection activities with the National Intelligence
Priorities Framework, while maintaining agility to respond to changes in priorities,
mission requirements, shifts in target technology and crises. I would continue this
method of prioritization if confirmed.
2. To fully address these Iranian regime threats, especially those in the cyber realm, do
you believe that NSA requires new authorities?
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If confirmed, I will assess two factors – the first, the full spectrum of Iranian threats
and related challenges faced by the IC; the second, how NSA makes use of its
current authorities. This will allow for a more comprehensive evaluation on whether
additional authorities would be beneficial.

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