Transcript Training - FLC Mid

Outreach:
The Challenge of Communication for
Technology Transfer
NSA’s Domestic Technology Transfer Program
Pamela L. Porter, Director
NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
“…to effectively promote,
broker, and facilitate the transfer
of valuable technological
innovations...”
NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
As part of the intelligence community, we
must maintain pace with today’s changing
technological advances
 With that as an overall challenge, we must
remain diligent in protecting our nation’s
information systems
 We must proceed with the first challenge
while maintaining a sense of caution

NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
Internal Awareness and Education
 Lack of Peer Group
 Constrained Technical Communications
 Pre-Qualification of Partners
 Pre-Approval for External Communications

NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program

Education of the engineers, mathematicians, and
computer scientists
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Policy
Disclosure of technology
Patent process
Licensing procedures
Value of Cooperative Research and Development
Agreements (CRADAs)
Concept is still relatively new, i.e. 10 years
NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
Unique agency with unique constraints
 It was accepted that the Intel Community
was exempt from Tech Transfer activities
 Who can we share Best Practices with?

NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
Requirements to public must remain
UNCLASSIFIED
 Leads to very open interpretation by
industry of our needs
 Industry may get frustrated with NSA’s
constraints by not answering the Request
for Proposals

NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
We must make an effort to fully identify
partners who want to license technology
 Must know about any Foreign Ownership
Control and Influence (FOCI)
 US Citizenship is preferred but not
required

NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
Our external communications must be
reviewed by our Public Affairs Office
 We must ensure that we do not send mixed
and/or confusing messages to the public
 Need time to plan for review and approvals

NSA’s
Domestic Technology Transfer
Program
Continue with education and awareness
 Engage industry with deliberate planning
 Envision partnerships as resources
 Continue efforts to build trust between our
agency and industry partners
 Remain vigilant and, at the same time,
open to find advanced technology
solutions
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