During the Cold War, intelligence services on each side of the conflict attempted to gather as much information as possible on their opponent’s capabilities and intentions. From 1955 to 1985, a number of U.S. embassies were penetrated by listening devices, primarily wired microphones and radio transmitters. Teams of specially trained engineers were sent out to hunt for these devices, carrying specialized equipment to inspect for “bugs”. These examples were used by U.S. Department of State countermeasures teams during the Cold War. Also depicted were wired microphones and models of transmitters recovered during that period.

This Intelligence Community (IC) Technical Specification sets forth the physical and technical security specifications and best practices for meeting standards of Intelligence Community Standard (ICS) 705-1 (Physical and Technical Standards for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities). When the technical specifications herein are applied to new construction and renovations of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs), they shall satisfy the standards outlined in ICS 705-1 to enable uniform and reciprocal use across all IC elements and to assure information sharing to the greatest extent possible. This document is the implementing specification for Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 705, Physical and Technical Security Standards for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (ICS-705-1) and Standards for Accreditation and Reciprocal Use of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (ICS-705-2) and supersedes Director of Central Intelligence Directive (DCID) 6/9.