Which DoD office provides authority, direction, and control over DCSA?

• A. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
• B. Director of National Intelligence
• C. Secretary of Defense
• D. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Answer: (A)

The authority, direction, and control over DCSA comes from the senior DoD official responsible for DoD intelligence and security programs. That office exercises ADC (authority, direction, and control) over DCSA, ensuring its policies and operations align with DoD intelligence and security goals. The Director of National Intelligence oversees the intelligence community broadly, not the internal DoD security agency structure. The Secretary of Defense is the top civilian leader, but the responsibility for directing DoD components like DCSA sits with the USD(I&S). The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff provides military advice, not ADC over DoD organizations. So, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security is the appropriate sponsor for DCSA.