serious damage to national security. Examples include material on the disruption of foreign relations that affect national security, disclosure of significant military plans, or compromise of scientific or technological developments. Confidential. A confidential designation is applied only to material that the unauthorized disclosure of could be reasonably expected to cause damage to national security. Information that indicates movement and performance of troop or naval forces or discloses test, design, and production data on weapons systems should have a confidential classification. SECURITY OF CLASSIFIED MATERIAL Commanding officers have the responsibility of safeguarding all classified material within their commands. They should ensure that classified material that is not being used or under personal observation of authorized personnel is stored in accordance with the Department of the Navy (DON) Information Security Program (ISP), SECNAVINST 5510.36. Top Secret material should be stored in a vault, strong room, or security container that is protected by an alarm system or guarded by U. S. citizens during nonworking hours. Secret or Confidential material may be stored in the same manner prescribed for Top Secret material. Secret and Confidential material may also be stored in steel filing cabinets that have approved built-in combination locks or, as a last resort, in steel filing cabinets that are equipped with a steel lock bar. The combination must be changed when one of the following events or situations occurs: The container is first placed in use. Authorized personnel who know the combination no longer require access. The combination is suspected of being compromised. The container is taken out of service. TRANSMISSION OF CLASSIFIED MATERIAL You should not handle classified information unless you have been authorized to do so by the commanding officer, and then, only when there is a reason for you to do so. Classified material should only be transmitted in the custody of authorized personnel or by an approved electronic system. Top Secret material should be transmitted by cleared military personnel, DOD contractors, Defense Courier Service (DCS), or by electronic means in encrypted form. Top Secret material should never be transmitted by registered mail or handled by regular routing procedures. Secret and Confidential matter may be transmitted by any means that is approved for Top Secret or by Registered Mail. The AZ will be concerned chiefly with its transmittal by Registered Mail. Material that is designated as Confidential requires modified handling procedures and may be sent by ordinary U.S. mail, provided the mail does not pass out of U.S. control and does not enter a foreign postal service. Confidential material may also be transmitted electronically in unencrypted form over landlines that are leased or owned by the U.S. government. NOTE: Safeguarding classified material is an all-hands effort. If you suspect that classified material has been compromised, immediately contact the command security manager, the commanding officer, or the command duty officer. TRANSMISSION OF “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” MATERIALS Documents that have been designated “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” do not require the same level of safeguard for storage and transmission as does Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential material. The main thing to remember is that FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY documents should be disclosed only to persons who have a need to know the information in the documents for the official performance of their duties. For you, this means that you should only disclose such material as directed by persons above you in your chain of command. The fact that a person might be a senior petty officer or commissioned officer would not entitle that person to require access to information that has been designated FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY if the individual were in a different organization. If you doubt another’s right to see a document, you should explain politely that under the circumstances you are not allowed to show the material to the individual. If the individual persists in the request, tactfully refer him or her to someone senior in the chain of command. Q5. What instruction governs the handling, storage, and transmission of classified material? Q6. What are the three approved classifications of classified material? 2-6