T-SCIF

TEMPORARY SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION FACILITY

T-SCIF

A T-SCIF is a secure, temporary facility designed for handling and discussing Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), which is classified information concerning or derived from intelligence sources and methods.

T-SCIFs play a crucial role in safeguarding national security by ensuring that sensitive information remains secure in environments where permanent secure facilities are impractical or impossible. They are a critical tool for protecting the confidentiality and integrity of intelligence and strategic military operations.

Most every box manufactured by Wenzlau Engineering is accreditable as a T-SCIF, providing security and countermeasures to allow our military to rapidly deploy, make decisions, while ensuring communication security in contested Environments.

ICD 705

ICD 705, or Intelligence Community Directive 705, is a directive issued by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that sets forth the physical and technical security standards for constructing, maintaining, and operating Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs).

The directive covers technical security measures to protect against electronic surveillance, signals intelligence collection, and cyber threats. This includes requirements for TEMPEST to shield against electromagnetic eavesdropping, as well as standards for secure communications and information technology systems.

SCIFs must be accredited by a designated government accrediting official (DAO) before use. This involves a rigorous inspection process to verify compliance with ICD 705 standards. Wenzlau Engineering works closely with the DAO and users to support accreditation and re-certification.

TEMPEST

Protecting equipment against TEMPEST vulnerabilities involves a combination of physical, technical, and procedural countermeasures designed to prevent electromagnetic eavesdropping. We incorporate Electromagnetic Shielding by designing our boxes Faraday cages to contain emanations within the box. We shield, bond, and ground cables to prevent leakage. Filters are applied to power lines and signal lines to prevent emanations from being carried outside of a secure environment. Red/Black separation is incorporated to physically and electrically separate equipment and wiring that handle classified information (red) from those that handle unclassified information (black).

ACCREDITATION APPROACH

Collaborative Planning

Each SCIF requires a TEMPEST countermeasures review (TCR), performed by a Certified TEMPEST Technical Authority (CTTA) as part of the accreditation process. We involve all stakeholders early in our engineering process through post-delivery qualification testing.

Design Features

Perimeter Protection

  • Resistance to forced entry

  • Resistance to covert entry

  • Visual evidence of surreptitious penetration

  • Sound attenuation for acoustic eavesdropping

  • Countermeasures for Electronic Emanations - TEMPEST

Acoustic Protection

  • SCIF Perimeter walls meet Sound Group 3, unless additional protection is required for amplified sound.

  • Sound Group 3 – (STC of 45) and Group 4. Loud speech can be faintly heard but not understood. Normal speech is unintelligible.

Primary Entrance to SCIF

  • Equipped with a GSA-approved pedestrian door deadbolt meeting Federal Specification FF-L- 2890 and combination lock meeting Federal Specification FF-L 2740A.

Intrusion Detection System

  • IDS installation, related components, and monitoring stations comply with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2050 Extent 3 standards.