Intelligence and National Security Alliance

INSA was established as the Security Affairs Support Association (SASA) in 1979 to bring together professionals in the intelligence field, primarily focused on the National Security Agency and to help members keep abreast of intelligence and national security community issues. SASA's main office was in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.

In November 2005, SASA's Board of Directors voted to change its name to the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) so as to expand its reach across the intelligence and national security communities and better serve the community in the aftermath of the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

INSA is the premier intelligence and national security organization that provides a unique venue for collaboration, networking and examination of policy issues and solutions. Representing an unprecedented alliance among senior leaders from the public, private, and academic sectors, INSA members form an unparalleled community of experts that collaborate to develop creative, innovative and timely solutions to the intelligence and national security issues facing the United States.

INSA works to promote and recognize the highest standards within the national security and intelligence communities. INSA members include current and former high-ranking intelligence, military and government agency leaders, analysts, and experts from industry and academia. Drawing on the experience and expertise of this membership, the Intelligence and National Security Alliance provides the thought leadership that identifies crucial intelligence topics, completes strategic research and promotes innovative solutions.

INSA has approximately 150 corporate members, as well as over one-thousand individual members, who are industry leaders within the government, private sector, and academia.

The current President is Ambassador Joseph DeTrani, who has served as the Senior Advisor to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center (NCPC) and the National Intelligence Manager for Counterproliferation (CP). Prior to his work at the ODNI, Ambassador DeTrani served at the Department of State as the Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks with North Korea and at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as Director for East Asia, Director for Europe, Director of Technical Services, Director of Public Affairs, Director of the Crime and Narcotics Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence. Previously, the INSA Presidency was filled by Ellen McCarthy, who left INSA in 2012 to become Chief Operating Officer for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.

Former Director of National Intelligence, Ambassador John D. Negroponte, has served as Chairman of INSA's Board of Directors since January 2013. Previously, the position was filled by Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush, John O. Brennan who left INSA in 2008 to become Deputy National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama, and Vice-Admiral John Michael McConnell, who left upon his confirmation as the nation's second Director of National Intelligence.

INSA's internal operational structure consists of the main office and its personnel, along with several member-driven, volunteer Councils and Task Forces that examine specific areas of study within the IC.

INSA's Councils and Task Forces reflect INSA's mission to facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors for non-partisan, practical solutions to our national security challenges. INSA's Councils and Task Forces produce white papers, testimony and expert level answers to policy requests from the White House, the National Security Council, the ODNI, the Pentagon and various Executive Branch agencies and Congressional Committees.

As of April 2012, INSA Councils and Task Forces included:

• Cyber Council
  • IC ITE - Doing in Common What is Commonly Done A .pdf version of this white paper produced in February 2013
  • Cloud Computing: Risks, Benefits, and Mission Enhancement for the Intelligence Community A .pdf version of this white paper produced in March 2012
  • Cyber Intelligence: Setting the landscape for an emerging discipline A .pdf version of this white paper produced in September 2011
  • Addressing Cyber Security Through Public - Private Partnership: An Analysis of Existing Models A .pdf version of this white paper produce in November 2009
• Homeland Security Intelligence Council
  • Intelligence to Protect the Homeland: Taking Stock Ten Years Later and Looking Ahead A .pdf version of this white paper produced in September 2011
  • Maturing the Homeland Security Intelligence Enterprise A .pdf version of this white paper produced in September 2011
  • Homeland Security Analysis The Knowledge Ecosystem A .pdf version of this white paper produced in September 2011
• Council on Technology and Innovation
  • Emerging Science and Technologies: Securing the Nation through Discovery and Innovation A .pdf version of this white paper produced in April 2013
• SMART Change Task Force
  • SMART Change: Lessons of the Past, Direction for the Future A .pdf version of this white paper produced in May 2011
• Security Policy Reform Council
  • Next Steps for Security Reform: Industry Proposals to Enhance Efficiency and Reduce Costs in National Security Contracts A .pdf version of this white paper produced in December 2011
• Rebalance Task Force
  • Expectations of Intelligence in the Information Age A .pdf version of this white paper produced in December 2012
• White Paper Library

INSA hosts numerous events annually for professionals in the intelligence and national security communities. Foremost among these is the William Oliver Baker Award Dinner, which honors outstanding individuals in the fields of intelligence and domestic security.

In December 2010, the INSA Board of Directors established and presented the first Annual INSA Achievement Awards, which honor five young members and one senior member of the intelligence and national security community for their distinguished service to the country and their field. These talented young professionals are selected for their leadership, mission accomplishments, potential for growth and their emerging professional standing and influence. The INSA Board named the Achievement Awards in honor of former William Oliver Baker Award recipients. The Awards are:

• Sidney D. Drell Academic Award
• Richard J. Kerr Government Award
• Edwin H. Land Industry Award
• John W. Warner Homeland Security Award
• William O. Studeman Military Award
• Joan A. Dempsey Mentoring Award

In addition to these annual award events, INSA hosts several events with prominent speakers from across the Intelligence Community on a regular basis, including the Distinguished Speakers Series, Intelligence Champions Events, Leadership Dinners, and the speaker series "An Evening with Charlie Allen." Nearly all INSA events are held in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.

INSA also hosts an annual "IC Industry Day" to discuss key issues relevant to the Intelligence Community. INSA developed its annual IC Industry Day in conjunction with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as a comprehensive forum for Intelligence Community leaders to relay their budget priorities to industry with the goal of better enabling industry to anticipate and provide multifaceted support to the IC. Past topics have ranged from “Intelligence Program Priorities in a Budget Constrained Environment” (2013) to “Understanding the IC Budget in Order to Meet National Security Need" (2012).

INSA's individual members includes former government officials from the National Security Council, National Intelligence Council, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Department of State, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the WMD Commission.

The William Oliver Baker Award was originally established by SASA in 1984 in honor of the first award recipient, William O. Baker, to promote excellence in the intelligence and national security activities of the United States government and associated endeavors in the private sector. The Award annually recognizes individuals for exceptional achievements and sustained contributions or single achievements of extraordinary merit. Past and current recipients by year include:

• INSA website
• For .pdf versions of white papers produced by INSA's Councils and Task Forces
• Ambassador Joseph DeTrani Named President Of INSA, WashingtonExec, February 8, 2013
• Shane Harris, Intelligence File: ADVICE+DISSENT: Gimme an S-P-Y", Government Executive magazine, May 15, 2007