Classified information

A typical classified document. Page 13 of a U.S. National Security Agency report [1] on the USS Liberty incident, partially declassified and released to the public in July 2003. The original overall classification of the page, "top secret" code word "umbra," is shown at top and bottom. The classification of individual paragraphs and reference titles is shown in parentheses - there are six different levels on this page alone. Notations with leader lines at top and bottom cite statutory authority for not declassifying certain sections.

Classified information is information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular classes of people. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation. There are typically several levels of sensitivity, with differing clearance requirements. This sort of hierarchical system of secrecy is used by virtually every national government. The act of assigning the level of sensitivity to data is called data classification.

Government classification

The purpose of classification is ostensibly to protect information from being used to damage or endanger national security. Classification formalizes what constitutes a "state secret" and accords different levels of protection based on the expected damage the information might cause in the wrong hands.

Classification levels

Although the classification systems vary from country to country most have levels corresponding to the following (from the highest level to lowest):

Top Secret (TS)
The highest level of classification of material. Such material would cause "exceptionally grave damage" to national security if publicly available.

Secret
Such material would cause "serious damage" to national security if publicly available.

Confidential
Such material would cause "damage" or be "prejudicial" to national security if publicly available.

Restricted
Such material would cause "undesirable" effects if publicly available. Some countries do not have such a classification.

Unclassified
Technically not a classification level, but is used for government documents that do not have a classification listed above. Such documents can be viewed by those without security clearance.

Depending on the level of classification there are different rules controlling the level of clearance needed to view such information and how it must be stored, transmitted, and destroyed. Access can also be restricted to a "need to know" basis.

Atomic information

Government information about nuclear weapons such as nuclear warheads often has an additional marking to show it contains such information.

Sharing of classified information between countries

When a government agency or group shares information between an agency or group of other country’s government they will generally employ a special classification scheme which both parties have previously agreed to honor. For example, sensitive information shared amongst NATO allies has four levels of security classification; COSMIC TOP SECRET (CTS), NATO SECRET (NS), NATO CONFIDENTIAL (NC), and NATO RESTRICTED (NR). A special case exists with regard to NATO UNCLASSIFIED (NU) information. This is NATO property and must not be made public without NATO permission.

Another marking, ATOMAL, is applied to U.S. RESTRICTED DATA or FORMERLY RESTRICTED DATA and United Kingdom Atomic information that has been released to NATO. ATOMAL information is marked COSMIC TOP SECRET ATOMAL (CTSA), NATO SECRET ATOMAL (NSA), or NATO CONFIDENTIAL ATOMAL (NCA).

In cases where a country wishes to share classified information bilaterally (or multilaterally) with a country that has a sharing agreement, the information is with the countries it can be shared with. Those countries would have to maintain the classification of the document at the level originally classified (TOP-SECRET, SECRET, etc.).

By country

Facsimile of the cover page from an East German operation manual for the M-125 Fialka cipher machine. The underlined classification markings can be translated as "Cryptologic material! Secret classified material" [2].

Most countries employ some sort of classification system for certain government information. For example, in Canada information which the U.S. would classify SBU is called "protected" and further subcategorized into levels A, B, and C.

United States

Main article: Classified information in the United States

The U.S. classification system is currently established under Executive Order 13292 and has three levels of classification — Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. The U.S. had a Restricted level during World War II but no longer does. Since 1954, the term "Restricted Data" (RD) refers to nuclear technology and is used in addition to level markings. U.S. regulations state that information received from other countries at the Restricted level should be handled as Confidential. A variety of markings are used for material that is not classified under the espionage laws, but whose distribution is limited administratively or by other laws, e.g., For Official Use Only (FOUO), or Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU).

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom uses four levels of classification — RESTRICTED, CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET, and TOP SECRET. Those working with such material must have the relevant security clearance and often must sign the Official Secrets Act.

Documents with information about nuclear warheads, fusion, and naval nuclear propulsion must be classified CONFIDENTIAL or higher and include an "Atomic" label. There are further labels for atomic information: "Atomic Conifer" (material and general information on nuclear warheads), "Atomic Principal" (theory and internal design of nuclear warheads), and "Atomic Artificer" (details of the hardness of the Polaris and Trident missiles).

In addition, the UK uses two levels of security classification for messages and memoranda: UK EYES ALPHA (intended for the intelligence services, armed forces and government – not to be shown to any non-British citizen) and UK EYES BRAVO (in addition to the ALPHA categories, also permitted to be shown to the Northern Ireland Office, List X companies, and member countries of the UKUSA Community liaising with the Joint Intelligence Committee).

New Zealand

Like the United Kingdom, New Zealand used the Restricted grade, which is lower than Confidential. Information with a Restricted classification is not for general dissemination, but is not classified in the strictest sense of the word - it is often used for controlling the release of reports and other documents until it can be done officially.

People may be given access to Restricted and Confidential information on the strength of an authorisation by their Head of Department, without being subjected to the background vetting associated with Secret and Top Secret clearances. New Zealand's security classifications and the national-harm requirements associated with their use are roughly similar to those of the United States.

Australia

Australia also has the classification grade of RESTRICTED. Similar in intent to New Zealand in regards as 'not for general dissemination' it is still a classification level in Federal Government. Background checks are done for this level, although not to the extent as higher classifications.

Australia also has a non-national security based classification system that is used in areas of the Federal Government not directly related to national security matters. This system is used for information whose compromise would not directly threaten the security of the nation, but the release of which could threaten the security or interests of individuals, groups, commercial entities, government business and interests, or the safety of the community

HIGHLY PROTECTED—which broadly corresponds to SECRET in the national security system.

PROTECTED —which broadly corresponds to CONFIDENTIAL in the national security system.

'X'-IN-CONFIDENCE — which broadly corresponds to RESTRICTED in the national security system.

In addition, documents marked 'CABINET-IN-CONFIDENCE', relating to discussions in Federal Cabinet, are treated as PROTECTED.

People's Republic of China

The Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China (which is not operative in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao) makes it a crime to release a state secret. However, what constitutes a state secret is very vaguely defined. There is no formal system of classification, nor are there legal requirements limiting what can be declared secret or even prevent information previously released from retroactively being declared state secrets.

The result of this making it possible for the government to use this law to jail journalists who the government considers to be a danger to the ruling governing system.

Table of equivalent classification markings in various countries

Original source: NISPOM app. B ¹ In addition, Finland uses label Salassa pidettävä, "to be kept secret" for information which is not classified but must not be revealed on some other basis than national security. (E.g. privacy, trade secrets etc.)

Corporate classification

Private corporations often require written confidentiality agreements and conduct background checks on candidates for sensitive positions. [3] In the U.S. the Employee Polygraph Protection Act prohibits private employers from requiring lie detector tests, but there are a few exceptions. Policies dictating methods for marking and safeguarding company-sensitive information (e.g. "IBM Confidential") are common and some companies have more than one level. Such information is protected under trade secret laws. New product development teams are often sequestered and forbidden to share information about their efforts with un-cleared fellow employees, the original Apple Macintosh project being a famous example. Other activities, such as mergers and financial report preparation generally involve similar restrictions. However, corporate security generally lacks the elaborate hierarchical clearance and sensitivity structures and the harsh criminal sanctions that give government classification systems their particular tone.

Example

EDS uses three classifications of information. Disclosure of EDS Limited Distribution information could cause serious damage to an affected party. Disclosure of EDS Confidential information could damage an affected party. Disclosure of EDS Internal information (most EDS business information) could be inappropriate or problematic.

See also

• Freedom of information legislation
• Official Secrets Act
• Wassenaar Arrangement

External links and references

• US "NISPOM" manual, explaining rules on classified information among other things - full title is "National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual".
• Marking Classified National Security Information ISOO booklet PDF
• Trusted operating systems
• Defence Vetting Agency. Carries out national security checks in the UK.
• The National Security Archive - a collection of declassified documents acquired through the FOIA

The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information under GFDL