behind pictures and radiators, and under desks.
Repairs, routine maintenance, and cleaning in
sensitive areas should be performed by reliable
personnel under supervision.
DECLASSIFICATION,
DOWNGRADING, AND UPGRADING
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Explain the
procedures for declassification, downgrading,
and upgrading of classified information.
DECLASSIFICATION/DOWNGRADING
Information classified by the DON will be
declassified as soon as national security
considerations permit. Declassification or
downgrading must be based on the loss of sensitivity
of the information with the passage of time or the
occurrence of an event that permits declassification or
downgrading.
The following officials are authorized to
declassify or downgrade classified information:
Secretary of the Navy
The original classification authority, his/her
successor, or a superior of either
The deputies or chief of staff to those original
classification authorities for classified information
within their functional areas
The director of Navy history and the director of
Marine Corps history and museums, in coordination
with original classification authorities, for historical
records in their custody
The above mentioned officials are the only ones
who can decide that certain information no longer
requires the protection originally assigned. The
authority to declassify or downgrade is not to be
confused with the administrative responsibility of a
holder of classified information to declassify or
downgrade it as directed by a classification guide, the
continued protection guidelines, or the instruction on
a document.
TRANSFERRED MATERIAL
When classified material is officially transferred
from one command to another, the receiving
commanding officer, if he/she is a designated
authority, becomes the declassification and
downgrading authority over the material. If the
commanding officer is not designated, the next senior
official in his/her command will be responsible for
declassification and downgrading.
When practicable, material will be reviewed for
declassification or downgrading before it is sent to
records centers or to the national archives for storage.
UPGRADING
Authorities may upgrade classified information
within their functional areas only when:
all known holders of the information can be
promptly notified; and
all known holders of the information are
authorized access to the higher level of
classification, or the information can be
retrieved from the known holders not authorized
access to the higher level of classification.
Information previously determined to be
unclassified may be classified only when the original
classification authority determines that correct criteria
has been met, that control of the information has not
been lost, and that loss of control can still be
prevented.
If classified information is, through
administrative or other error, disseminated as
unclassified or is underclassified, every effort will be
made to retrieve, safeguard, and properly mark and
control the information.
NOTIFICATION
Notices are not issued to declassify or downgrade
material marked with specific events for
declassification or downgrading. All original
addressees will be notified, however, of an
unscheduled change to shorten or lengthen duration of
or to change the classification level. A notice
assigning classification to currently unclassified
information will be classified Confidential unless the
notice itself contains information at a higher level. The
notice declassification date will be no less than 90
days from the date of the notice.
ACCOUNTING AND CONTROL
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Explain the
procedures for the accounting and control of
Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential material.
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