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NSA Names Hymes to NCS Committee of Principals

Arlington, VA, February 23, 2005 - The National Security Agency (NSA) today named, Morris A. Hymes, Jr., to serve as its representative to the National Communications System (NCS) Committee of Principals (COP). He replaces Mr. Michael Fleming.

The NCS Committee of Principals is a presidentially designated interagency group that provides advice and recommendations on national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications to the Executive Office of the President. It is composed of high-level Government officials representing 23 Federal operational, policy, regulatory, and enforcement organizations. As an interagency group, the COP serves as a forum for members to review, evaluate, and present views and recommendations on current or prospective NCS programs to the Manager, NCS, the Executive Agent (the Secretary of Homeland Security), and the Executive Office of the President (EOP).

Mr. Hymes serves as the National Security Agency (NSA) Information Assurance (IA) Director’s focal point for all IA policy and represents the represents the IA Director on policy groups at the Defense Department and national levels. He formulates, coordinates, and promulgates Defense Department and national level communications security (COMSEC), information security (INFOSEC) and IA procedures and policies responsive to the needs of customers.

Mr. Hymes also serves as the Executive Secretary for the Committee on National Security systems (CNSS). A committee established by National Security Directive 42. The CNSS is the policy setting body for securing national security systems. It is also responsible for interacting with the NCS COP to ensure the coordinated execution of assigned responsibilities.

Mr. Hymes is the NSA member to the Information System Security Privacy Advisory Board (ISSPAB) that was originally created as part of the Computer Security Act of 1987. In this capacity, Mr. Hymes provides advise to the Secretary of Commerce and Office of Management and Budget on privacy and security matters.

Mr. Hymes began work at NSA in 1981 as a mechanical design engineer and quickly transitioned to a project engineer, program manager and systems engineer for various Communications Security technologies. Mr. Hymes served for roughly two years at the Pentagon as a Senior Information Assurance Staff Officer for the Assistant Security of Defense (Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence). He also was Division Manager for Cryptographic Key Management Products, and a Technical Project Director in the Research Directorate.

He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in mechanical engineering. He furthered his education by receiving a master’s degree from George Washington University in engineering administration.

The National Communications System, part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate, consists of 23 Federal member departments and agencies and is responsible for ensuring the availability of a viable national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications infrastructure.

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