The National Security Authority (hereinafter referred as: NSA) is responsible for the protection of national and foregin classified information in Hungary. The NSA as an organizational unit is acting in the structure of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, and is a body with original scope of duties and official roles and responsibilities. The NSA is not a national security service, it is responsible for the development, implementation and supervision of personnel, physical, administrative and electronic security standards regarding the protection of classified information within governmental bodies and business organizations. The NSA is responsible for the implementation of both bilateral and multilateral international agreements pertaining to the mutual protection of classified information.

One of the basic preconditions of our NATO accession was to establish an organization with official functions in order to guarantee the protection of the NATO classified information by enforcing the Alliance's regulations in the practice of every public organizations and companies authorized to manage NATO classified information in Hungary. Act No. LXXXV. on the National Security Authority fulfilled the above mentioned conditions and established the NSA on 8th January 1999 under the control of the minister without portfolio in charge of the civilian national security services. Four years later, on the eve of Hungary’s accession to the European Union the NSA was designated as the national security authority responsible for the protection of classified information of the Council and of the Commission of the European Union and of the EURATOM (hereinafter together referred as: EU).

Year 2009 was an important milestone regarding the operation of the NSA. The Parliament of Hungary adopted Act No. CLV. of 2009. on the protection of classified information, which entered into force on April 1, 2010. Not only did this new law bestow the NSA with the responsibility for the protection of national classified information, but thoroughly overhauled the structure of the protection of classified information in Hungary. Besides the responsibility for the protection of national classified information the NSA has become the Crypto Supervising Authority of Hungary, as well.

The roles and responsibilities of the NSA in conformity with the provisions of Act No. CLV. of 2009:

• Issues, amends and revokes permits allowing the handling of national and foreign classified information;

• Issues, amends and revokes permits allowing the handling of national and foreign classified information in electronic systems;
  

• Registers the permits issued by the name and location of the organization entitled to handle classified information;
  

• Issues the personnel security clearances for acces to foreign classified information and for access to national and foreign classified information with regard to business organizations;
  

• Exercises the right of consent regarding the appointment of the head of security at the organizations managing classified information;
  

• Acts as the national crypto supervising authority;
  

• Issues facility security clearances for business organizations eligible to handle classified information;
  

• Organizes and controls the national registry system based on the Central NATO Registry and the Central EU registry;
  

• Provides the education of the security requirements that should be applied in order to protect classified information and organizes the necessary training courses;
  

• Ensures the development of adequate plans in order to protect the classified information in emergency situations, and on the basis of their content it ensures that they can not be accessed by unauthorized persons;
  

• Takes care of the conduction of the investigation in connection with the loss of classified information, or access by unauthorized person, together with breach of security, if necessary reports them to the competent national and foreign bodies;
  

• Reports about its activities if it is necessary to the competent bodies of the NATO, the WEU and the EU;
  

• Reports about its activities to the Government through the minister;
  

• Keeps contact with the security representatives operating at the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the NATO, the WEU and the EU, as well as with the competent bodies of the Member States of the NATO, the WEU and the EU;

The NSA has extensive coordinative activities with the representatives of the national security structure and with the competent bodies of the NATO and the EU. The NSA takes part at various national and foreign fora, where the subjects – falls in the competency of the NSA – affects the aspects of the security of classified information. According to the area belonging to its scope of tasks and authority the NSA provides professional workshops with participation of the representatives of the competent bodies. Furthermore, the NSA is representing Hungary in the security committees and working groups of the NATO and the EU. The president of the NSA reports on the activities to the National Security Committee and the Defence Committee of the Hungarian Parliament through the minister whenever it is necessary, but at least once a year.