Understanding Executive Order 13526: Safeguarding Classified National Security Information
As a nation, the United States has always held the safety of its citizens as its top priority. One crucial aspect of national security is the ability to keep sensitive classified information out of the wrong hands. Executive Order 13526 was created for precisely this reason. This order outlines the proper procedures for safeguarding classified information and ensuring that it remains protected.
What is Executive Order 13526?
Executive Order 13526 is a federal framework that lays down the guidelines for preserving, classifying, and declassifying national defense information. Signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 29, 2009, the order emphasizes the importance of secure information exchange between government agencies and foreign entities without compromising national security.
Classification of National Security Information
The order categorizes sensitive information into three primary levels: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. Each level determines the classification of checks and control measures that protect the information.
Confidential information, for example, pertains to matters that, if disclosed to unauthorized parties, could cause some harmful effect on national security. The Secret classification applies to data whose disclosure could have a serious impact on national security. Finally, the Top Secret classification is reserved for the most sensitive national security issues, where unauthorized disclosure could cause catastrophic harm to the country.
The Protection of Classified Information
The safeguarding of classified information doesn’t solely fall to the government. It also requires public servants and contractors to adhere to strict protocols for the collection, preservation, and dissemination of classified information. The order mandates that all agencies have reasonable methods to identify, control, and protect classified information from unauthorized persons. These measures include the use of secure facilities, appropriate data storage devices, and strong encryption – all of which help prevent unauthorized access to classified information.
The Declassification of National Security Information
The executive order also covers the procedures for the declassification of classified national security information. This process typically begins after a certain number of years have passed since the creation of the said information. The responsibility for declassifying the information rests with the government agency that initially classified it. The process is conducted in a way that limits the risk of releasing sensitive information that could harm national security.
Conclusion
The safeguarding of national security information is critical to the safety of a country and its citizens. Executive Order 13526 offers a set of guidelines to help protect classified information from unauthorized access. Proper protocols for classifying, protecting, and declassifying national security information must always be adhered to, as failure to do so could have catastrophic consequences.
