Information Security Marking Country

Information Security Marking Country Codes and Tetragraphs

Chief Information Officer

IC Technical Specifications

CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs

Overview

This CVE Encoding Specification for ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs (ISMCAT.CES) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode IC Enterprise ISM Country Codes and Tetragraphs data. This Controlled Vocabulary Enumerations (CVEs) Specification defines the use of XML elements and attributes for ISMCAT data, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing ISMCAT data concepts using XML. Versions 1 and higher of this Controlled Vocabulary Enumerations (CVE) can be utilized as metadata when dissemination of information is limited solely to members of the Intelligence Community.

IC Enterprise encoding specifications use Controlled Vocabulary Enumerations (CVEs) to define allowable values for various elements and attributes used and over time, several encoding specifications became dependent on the same list of values, and dual (or more) maintenance was required to keep the lists aligned. Any changes to a specification's CVEs caused an entire new version of that specification to be created. In order to remove the need for dual maintenance and to remove the need to revision a specification when a CVE was updated, a new type of encoding specification, the CVE Encoding Specification, was created to decouple the vocabulary from the specifications.

This specification contains tagging structures for information resource metadata, mixed textual and media content found in the body of publications, source reference citations, classification and control markings, and knowledge assertions.

Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.

The IC Chief Information Officer maintains this specification via the Data Standards Coordination Activity (DSCA) and Entity Specification Tiger Team (ESTT).

Latest Approved Public Release:

Mission Requirements

This encoding specification defines how to implement the abstract data elements in the IC.ADD in a particular physical encoding (e.g., data or file format).

This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community. Many of these requirements are articulated in IC Directives 208, 209, 500-20, 500-21, 501, 710, and ICPM- 2007-200-2 among others.

This specification is designed to support the Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) Increment 1 Implementation Plan.

This specification supports common understanding and use of access control encoding for originator controlled mappings to enable overall information sharing strategies and policies of the IC as established in relevant law, policy, and directives.

IC Implementations shall conform to this specification and MUST adhere to all normative aspects of the specification.