This system can be applied, for example, to documents related to intelligence activities, diplomatic relations, military programs and programs to protect nuclear material. By classifying information, governments limit who can see documents and where they can see them.
Here are some important things to know about how the classification system works.
There are three basic levels of classification, based on the damage that could be done to national security if the information were to be leaked.
top secret
Some of the materials recovered from Trump’s Florida home were marked as Top Secret SCI.
secret
Information is classified as confidential if it is deemed that the disclosure of the information could cause “serious harm” to national security.
confidential
Confidential is a less sensitive classification level, applied to information that could reasonably be expected to “damage” national security if disclosed.
What might be classified as Top Secret Documents?
“The difference between Secret and Top Secret is huge,” said Philip Mudd, a CNN counter-terrorism analyst and former CIA analyst.
nuclear code For example, it may be classified as Top Secret, as well as information from particularly sensitive human sources.
However, the Top Secret designation has a narrower classification. For example, intercepted communications may be classified as top secret SCI.
Another category of sensitive information in top secret or classified documents is known as SAPs, or special access programs. Not everyone with top secret security clearance is familiar with the information in SAP.
These higher-level designations further restrict who can view the information and where it can be viewed.
How is information classified?
Certain people within government have classification authority. For sensitive and classified material, we may make judgments about the national security implications if the information is disclosed.
But according to Mudd, the classification of top-secret SCIs happens automatically.
That may be because the information reveals sources that the United States uses and certain methods of obtaining intelligence information.
Who can see classified documents and where?
Second, there may be additional security protocols associated with displaying top secret information. Some documents are required to be viewed at what is known as SCIF, or a classified compartmentalized information facility.
Mudd said there are technical standards that must be met before a room or building can be designated as SCIF. For example, multiple locks may be required and access to rooms is restricted to those with specific security clearances.
Source: www.cnn.com
