Misc. 19-02 Letter / Government's second thirty –day update (FISC 2020)
Annotate this CaseThis opinion or order relates to an opinion or order originally issued on January 15, 2020.
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a WPf~lsLWifillllllB:'W9R 9FPiiBI'tls Wfi:l!l ~Nhtt Watlrlllglon, D.C. 20530 May29, 2020 t • ~- l . ."'.. ..:,I•.. ~ {t'!· ~~ r:; ;-I l fdr· ! , ,. ; •f "1 I!··f ;~., ,1 l Cf"/"' '"K - I r('ll lp '··'" \ -_,,., .. ., .-' cn•• _,.. ~ .... .' I . The Honorable James E. Boasberg United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court 333 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 Re: In Re Accuracy Concerns Regarding FBI Matters Submitted to the FISC, Docket. No. Misc. 19·02 · Dear Judge Boasberg: The Government respectfully submits this update as required by the Corrected Opinion and Order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC or the Court) entered on March 5, 2020 (hereinafter March 5, 2020 Order). Specifically, the Government herein provides the Court with updates regarding technological improvements being undertaken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to aid in consistency and accountability within the FISA application process. By way ofbacki,fOUnd, the March 5, 2020 Order directed the Government to provide by March 27, 2020, "a description of any planned or implemented technological improvements to the process of preparing FISA applications or verifying the information contained in FISA applications and updates every thitty days thereafter until they have been fully implemented." March 5 Order at 17. Following the Court's grant of a one-week extension, the Govemment filed a response to the March 5, 2020 Order on April3, 2020 (the April 3, 2020 Response) and provided the Court with an update regarding technological improvements to the process of preparing, or verifying the information contained in, FISA applications. Response to the Court's Corrected Opinion and Order Dated March 5, 2020 and Update to the Government's January 10, 2020 Response, at 19-20. In further response to the March 5, 2020 Order, the FBI filed a declaration on April30, 2020 (the April30, 2020 Response) that provided an additional update describing the Government's planned or implemented technological improvements related to the · FISA process. Supplemental Response to the Court's Order Dated December 17, 20 19; the · Court's Scheduling Order Dated January 17, 2020; and the Court's Corrected Opinion and Order Dated March 5, 2020, Attachment A at 10-12. The Government hereby provides an additional update regarding these technological improvements. As explained in the April3, 2020 Response, the FBI currently manages its FISArelated workflow processes in a platform called the FISA Management System (FISAMS). However, because FISAMS is outmoded and past its anticipated Iifecycle, the FBI is transitioning to a system colloquially known as "the Bridge." Also as described in the April3, 2020 Response, the Bridge is designed to increase collaboration within FBI, as well as between UJTiikrUJiiPI:IiiB:';'lit)R ~PPI81/ih l!Jfiiil 8NhU • ('NGI 1 ssrywptpgp OFFICI. I l'ii Qitfl1' FBI and 01, though it is not expected to replace FISAMS until at least the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021 . The FBI's efforts to develop and implement the Bridge are ongoing. As explained in the April 30, 2020 Response, one feature being incorporated into the Bridge is the ability for the system to connect with the FBI's case management system, known as Sentinel. Since the last report, th(! Bridge team has received authorization from the Sentinel team to build and integrate technical interfaces with Sentinel, which will allow for the exchange and validation of data between the two systems. This will afford Bridge users the ability to ensure a high level of data integrity, by automatically cross-referencing data input in the Bridge with existing case data in Sentinel. The interface between the Bridge and Sentinel also will provide users the ability to serialize to Sentinel documents created in, or required for, the Bridge, inciuding documents necessary for the creation of an accuracy subfile. During the most recent reporting period, the Bridge team also deployed an automated testing suite that wi11 enable automatic and continuous testing of the Bridge application's user interface. Automated testing enables the Bridge team to conduct testing at a greater frequency and in a more repeatable way, thereby allowing the team to discover and address teclmical bugs, or changes in requirements, more efficiently and effectively. This letter constitutes the Government's second thirty-day update in the above-captioned docket regarding planned or implemented technological improvements. The FBI has reviewed this response and confirmed its accuracy. By separate motion, and for the reasons set forth therein, the Government will seek leave to modify the reporting period established by the March 5 ~ 2020 Order in order to provide the Court with updates on an interval that more closely corresponds to the FBI's development teams' review and implementation of operational requirements. Pending the Court's consideration of that motion, however, the Government will continue to provide updates on a thirty~day interval as required by the March 5, 2020 Order. lly submitted, (L 17f. -----------·-·. vin O'Connor / , hiet: Oversight Section Office of Intelligence, National Security Division U.S. Department of Justice 2 Ytrfilsz'zQ81FifiiB:'J'f'8R 8f'PI@IAJs t;s~ 8If!S I
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