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Cold War and a Hot Furnace

June 9, 2010

I was a U.S. Navy intelligence specialist assigned to VA-55 (go Warhorses!), a bomber squadron based at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In my position I handled a great deal of classified information and also had responsibility for the destruction of that information. Ashore, I took bags of discarded documents to the base intelligence center and tossed the paper into Igor, a massive pulverizing machine that rendered into a fine powder whatever slid down its chute.

Igor was loud, with a high-pitched industrial whir and its heavy steel spindles, bedecked with scores of sharp teeth, could grind up a pile of paper in seconds. You knew that the secrets that went into Igor’s fearsome maw were safe, for what came out the other end resembled confectioner’s sugar.

At sea the destruction of classified information was a different story.

VA-55 deployed to the USS Coral Sea, a conventional aircraft carrier whose keel was laid before the end of World War II and as such was regarded as old and small for that type of ship when I sailed on her in the mid-‘80s. The Coral Sea did not have space for an Igor; instead, classified information slated for destruction was burned in a furnace.

For a first-timer, assignment to a burn detail was welcome news. Life at sea could be monotonous and the prospect of spending some time tending to a roaring fire seemed like a fun way to break the routine. After all, what could be easier than burning bags of paper? It didn’t take long to realize that the task was difficult, uncomfortable, and thankless.

The Coral Sea’s furnace room was hot and cramped. Merely getting to the space was a chore, never mind doing so with twenty or more bags of classified information (requiring proper supervision and accountability) in tow.

Once inside and having lit the first bag, you learn that paper doesn’t burn as quickly and completely as you might imagine. Publications, especially, are slow to burn and require constant attention. Fire needs air to burn, and pages, pressed together, don’t accommodate the circulation needed, so raking and stirring are needed. As more and more paper is added, the accumulating ash suffocates the flame. Procedure requires that the destruction be complete, with no scrap of paper left intact, so sifting and poking are needed to make sure paper is not merely charred, but reduced to ash and mixed.

The job took hours. The furnace room would get exceedingly hot and smoky, and those assigned emerged covered in sweat and soot. No one ever volunteered to do it, and everyone grumbled when their turn came around.

But we all knew why it was necessary. The Cold War was still being waged; Soviet “trawlers” were never far behind our battle group; every bit of trash that went overboard that could be recovered by the enemy was; everything that the enemy could scoop out of the sea was regarded as a puzzle piece to be analyzed and used to bring pictures into clearer focus. Our job was to deny the Russian Bear an opportunity to obtain even seemingly innocuous information.

The importance of security was constantly drilled into our heads. The consequences of failure were potentially grave.

Does your organization think of information security with a similar mindset? Do your employees appreciate the value of the data they handle and do they understand the consequences of a data breach? Are they reminded of their responsibility as information stewards, or do they handle the information entrusted to them with a cavalier attitude?

Data privacy and information security may not be sexy – it may even seem like a difficult, thankless task – but it is as necessary for your business today as it was for a war ship on the high seas during the Cold War. Your enemy is lurking, snooping, waiting for an opportunity to scoop up whatever is carelessly tossed overboard.

If your security, privacy, training, and governance policies are lacking, give us a call.

Posted by Mike Spinney at 10:44 am

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