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Government 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 "

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Government classification

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  1. 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" • Different levels of protection based on the expected damage the information might cause in the wrong hands.

  2. Classification levels (from the highest level to lowest): • Top Secret (TS) • The highest level of classification of material on a national level. 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.

  3. Classification levels • 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. • Additionally, access is restricted on a "need to know" basis. Simply possessing a clearance does not automatically authorize the individual to view all material classified at that level or below that level. • The individual must present a legitimate "need to know" in addition to the proper level of clearance.

  4. Compartmented information • Often there are additional constraints on access, such as (in the U.S.) • Special Intelligence (SI) which protects intelligence sources and methods, • No Foreign dissemination (NOFORN) which restricts dissemination to U.S. nationals, and • Originator Controlled dissemination (ORCON), which ensures that the originator can track possessors of the information. • Documents in some compartments are marked with specific "code words" in addition to the classification level. • “Code word" classification can be more restricted than top secret.

  5. Atomic information • Government information about nuclear weapons such as nuclear warheads often has an additional marking to show it contains such information. • "Extremely Sensitive Information" is applied.

  6. Sharing classified information between countries • generally employ a special classification scheme which both parties have previously agreed to honor, for example: • COSMIC TOP SECRET (CTS), • FOCAL TOP SECRET (FTS), • NATO SECRET (NS), • NATO CONFIDENTIAL (NC), and • NATO RESTRICTED (NR). • NATO UNCLASSIFIED (NU) information. • This is NATO property and must not be made public without NATO permission.

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