DoD Directive (DoDD) 8500.1, "Information Assurance (IA)," is the foundational policy document that establishes the DoD's overarching strategy for IA. The purpose statement within this directive explicitly states that it "Establishes policy and assigns responsibilities...to achieve information assurance (IA) through a defense-in-depth approach that integrates the capabilities of personnel, operations, and technology, and supports the evolution to network centric warfare." This wording directly matches the description provided in the question, identifying it as the correct high-level policy document. While this directive has been superseded, it remains a key historical document within the ISSEP body of knowledge.

A. DoD 8500.2 Information Assurance Implementation: This is an instruction that provides specific procedures and controls for implementing the high-level policy established in DoDD 8500.1, not the policy itself.

B. DoD 8510.1-M DITSCAP: This was the application manual for the DoD Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process (DITSCAP), detailing a specific process, not the overarching IA policy.

C. DoDI 5200.40: This instruction formally established the DITSCAP framework. It is focused specifically on the Certification and Accreditation (C&A) process, which is only one component of the broader IA program.

1. U.S. Department of Defense. (2002

October 24). DoD Directive 8500.1: Information Assurance (IA). Washington

D.C.: DoD Chief Information Officer. Section 2

"PURPOSE

" states the directive's goal is to "achieve information assurance (IA) through a defense-in-depth approach that integrates the capabilities of personnel

operations

and technology

and supports the evolution to network centric warfare."

2. U.S. Department of Defense. (2003

February 6). DoD Instruction 8500.2: Information Assurance (IA) Implementation. Washington

D.C.: DoD Chief Information Officer. Section 2

"PURPOSE

" clarifies that the instruction "implements policy

assigns responsibilities

and prescribes procedures...under DoDD 8500.1."

3. Wilson

I. D. (2005). A Comparative Analysis of the Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) and the National Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (NIACAP) (Master's thesis

Naval Postgraduate School). Chapter II

Section B

"DoD IA Policy

" pp. 9-11. This thesis describes the hierarchy of DoD IA policy

identifying DoDD 8500.1 as the primary policy document and DITSCAP (established by DoDI 5200.40) as the C&A process used to enforce it. (Available via NPS Calhoun institutional repository).

4. U.S. Department of Defense. (1997

December 30). DoD Instruction 5200.40: DoD Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process (DITSCAP). Washington

D.C.: Assistant Secretary of Defense. This document's purpose is to establish the C&A process

not the entire IA policy framework.