Industrial Security 

The HQ International Program Branch oversees and administers DSS agency level guidelines and responsibilities regarding cleared U.S. contractor involvement with foreign governments, foreign contractors, and NATO. These duties include security oversight and administration of exports, permanent and temporary imports of classified information and compliance.

The HQ International Program Branch represents DSS in international matters, such as meetings, conferences, and visits to other countries conducted under the National Disclosure Policy Committee (NDPC). The Branch also represents DSS in the negotiation of international industrial security arrangements with other governments (i.e. Program Security Instructions (PSI), and acts as the DSS Liaison on international issues with policy offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, military department elements, and export agencies (e.g., U.S. State, Commerce, and Customs Departments). The International Branch provides recommendations on international aspects of the NISPOM and other DoD policy and regulatory documentation.

The HQ International Program Branch is the DSS focal point for administering agency international responsibilities as the Designated Security Authority (DSA). The office fulfills this duty by acting as the key agency liaison to foreign government security officials, other government organizations, and corporate international offices.

This liaison forms the framework for functions, such as:

• establishing government-to-government channels for subsequent exchanges of assurances;
• approving security arrangements (i.e. hand carriage plans, transportation plans approvals) on behalf of the U.S. and coordinating these approvals with foreign governments and NATO; and
• requesting classification guidance and evaluating compromise reports involving foreign government or NATO information and providing notification to the originating foreign governments.

Multinational Industrial Security Working Group (MISWG)

With the advent in recent years of the congressional mandate for the Department of Defense to consider and engage in international cooperative programs, there were increasing numbers of international programs that were not NATO programs. These new programs did involve NATO member nations. To ease security arrangements for these programs, a supplemental set of procedures were developed by the Multinational Industrial Security Working Group (MISWG). MISWG was formed in 1986, and is comprised of NATO members (except Iceland). Since its formation, MISWG has developed 20 documents containing policies and procedures to be applied to various security-related functions arising from international cooperative projects involving the members of MISWG. Although initially developed to standardize procedures among NATO member nations working jointly on a non-NATO project, MISWG documents contain procedures that may be used in any bilateral or multilateral program or project.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

LAA Requirements

DISCO International Branch