CLASSIFIED MATERIAL CONTROL The system of classifying and handling information and equipment is designed to prevent a potential or present enemy from using our own developments against us. The security classification of equipment or correspondence is assigned on the basis of the potential damage that could result if the information were available to foreign nationals. Handling and storage are also affected in that the higher classifications require progressively more protection. AKs are often assigned to billets that require access to classified information and equipment and should, therefore, be prepared to handle them in strict accordance with the security regulations. The objective of this section is to develop an awareness of security requirements regarding classified material and equipment. The latest edition of OPNAVINST 5510.1, Department of the Navy Information and Personnel Security Program Regulation, should be consulted for current security requirements and regulations. Local command or area requirements may be more specific or expand beyond Navywide requirements to meet local situations and should also be considered. Responsibility The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is responsible to the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) for all policies relating to the maintenance of the security of all classified information within the Naval Establishment. Because of the close relationship of counterintelligence and the preservation of security, the Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) has been designated as the officer primarily responsible to the CNO for the protection of classified information. Therefore, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) formulates and distributes Navy policy that relates to the security of all classified information. Commanding officers are directly responsible for safeguarding all classified information within their commands and are responsible for instructing their personnel in security practices and procedures. Objective The objective of the orders and instructions that appear in OPNAVINST 5510.1 is to establish a coordinated policy for the security of all information that has been classified in the interest of national defense. Information that requires administrative protection for reasons other than the interests of national defense is not considered as classified information and is not to be treated as such. The Security Principle The Department of Defense employs a security formula that is simple in principle. It is based on the theory of circulation control—the control of the dissemination of classified information. Therefore, knowledge or possession of classified information is permitted only to those who actually require it in the performance of their duties, and then only after they have been granted the appropriate security clearances. The principle is generally referred to as a “need to know.” Classification Classified information is official information that requires protection in the interest of national defense and that is classified for such purpose by responsible classifying authority. Classified material is any matter, document, product, or substance on which classified information is recorded or embodied. The three categories of classification are Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential. The definitions of these categories are covered extensive] y in Basic Military Requirements, NAVEDTRA 12043, and the Department of the Navy Information and Personnel Security Program Regulation, OPNAVINST 5510.1. Marking Classified Matter When it is determined that information or material should be assigned a classification, such information must be conspicuously marked as described in OPNAVINST 5510.1, chapter 9. Storage Procedures Classified material not in actual use or under direct personal observation must be stowed in the manner prescribed in chapter 5 of OPNAVINST 5510.1. This publication outlines the physical security standards and requirements that serve as a uniform guide for determining the type and degree of protection for classified material. These standards and requirements are designed to provide for flexibility as well as adequacy in the physical security program. 1-15