HANDLING SECRET MATERIAL

Every command is required to establish administrative procedures for recording all Secret material originated and received. These administrative procedures, as a minimum, must include a system of accountability for Secret matter distributed or routed within the command, such as a communications log. Accounting of Secret material may or may not be centralized.

Unlike Top Secret material, Secret material does not require signed receipts distributed or routed within the command. However, it is extremely important that you ensure that the person who is receiving Secret messages or material is properly cleared, and his or her name appears on an access list released by the commanding officer.

HANDLING CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL

Procedures for handling Confidential material are less stringent than those for Secret. There is no requirement to maintain records of receipt, distribution, or disposition of Confidential material. However, Confidential material must still be protected from unauthorized disclosure by access control and compliance with regulations on marking, storage, transmission, and destruction.

HANDLING CLASSIFIED AIS MATERIAL

Classified AIS storage media and output must be controlled and safeguarded in accordance with its security classification. Specific procedures on security requirements for handling and storing AIS material are found in the Department of the Navy Automatic Data Processing Security Program, OPNAVINST 5239.1.

CLEARING MEDIA AND HARDWARE

Declassifying AIS media is a procedure to erase totally all classified information stored in the media. The clearing of AIS media is used to erase classified information that lacks the totality and finality of declassifying. There are distinct and specific techniques to clear media and hardware; a sampling follows:

Magnetic tapes: Overwrite one item with any one character or perform degaussing.

Magnetic media used to store analog, video, or other nondigital information: Overwrite using analog signals instead of digital.

Internal memory, buffers, registers, or similar storage areas: Use hardware clear switch, power on reset cycle or a program designed to overwrite the storage area.

Cathode-ray tubes (CRTs): Ensure that there is no burned-in classified information by inspecting the screen surface.

DESTRUCTION OF CLASSIFIED MATERIAL

Classified material that is no longer required should not be allowed to accumulate. Destruction of superseded and obsolete classified materials that have served their purpose is termed "routine destruction."

ROUTINE DESTRUCTION

There are specific directives that authorize the routine destruction of publications, message files, and cryptomaterials. As a Radioman, you should carefully study these directives so that you may properly comply with them. Additionally, the letter of promulgation of publications often sets forth disposition instructions about destruction requirements for that publication. Other materials, such as classified rough drafts, worksheets, and similar items, are periodically destroyed to prevent their accumulation.

Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential material may be destroyed by burning, pulping, pulverizing, or shredding. Destruction must be complete and reconstruction of material impossible. The most efficient method of destroying combustible material is by burning.

DESTRUCTION PROCEDURES AND REPORTS

Top Secret material will be destroyed by two witnessing officials. Persons performing any destruction must have a clearance level equal to or higher than the material being destroyed. Destruction will be recorded on a record that provides for complete identification of the material being destroyed. Destruction records must include number of copies destroyed, date of destruction, and personnel completing destruction. These records are maintained for 2 years.

Secret messages must be destroyed following the two-person rule, without a record of destruction. Alternatively, one person may destroy Secret messages if a record of destruction is made. The commanding officer may impose additional controls for Secret messages if warranted and if they reasonably balance security against operational efficiency.

Confidential material and classified waste are destroyed by authorized means. Personnel performing destruction must hold an appropriate clearance and are not required to record destruction.

If the material has been placed in burn bags for central disposal, the destruction record is signed by the witnessing officials at the time the material is placed in the burn bags. Records of destruction must be retained for 2 years.

All burn bags must be given the same protection as the highest classification of material in them until they are destroyed. Since several burn bags may accumulate for burning, it is important to keep an accurate record of the number of bags to be burned. Burn bags must be serially numbered and a record kept of all subsequent handling until destroyed.

Burning

As a Radioman, you will probably assist in the burning of classified material. Every member of a burn detail must know exactly what is to be burned and should double-check burn material against an inventory list before the material is burned.

To provide for accountability of the burn bags, the supervisor of a burn detail must be sure that the bags are numbered (or counted) before they are removed from the workspaces. The supervisor of a burn detail must have either a log or checkoff list that lists the number of bags to be burned. At the destruction site, each bag is checked off the list as it is destroyed in the presence of the witnessing officials. Witnessing officials are persons performing any destruction. They must have a clearance equal to or higher than the material being destroyed.

To ensure the complete destruction of bound publications, the pages must be torn apart and crumpled before they are placed in bags. All material must be watched until it is completely consumed. The ashes must be broken up and scattered so that no scraps escape destruction.

Shredding

Crosscut shredding machines are relatively quiet and may be used aboard ships where incinerator facilities are not available. Crosscut shredders are replacing incinerators in many areas where burning is not allowed because of the Clean Air Act. Crosscut shredding machines must reduce classified material to shreds no greater than 3/64 inch wide by 1/2 inch long. Crosscut shredding suffices as complete destruction of classified material, and the residue may be handled as unclassified material with the exception of some COMSEC material. Not all crosscut shredders are suitable for destroying microfiche, so make sure the one you are using has that capability before attempting to shred microfiche.

Pulverizing and Disintegrating

Pulverizers and disintegrators designed for destroying classified material are usually too noisy and dusty for office use unless installed in a noise- and dust-proof enclosure. Some pulverizers and disintegrators are designed to destroy paper products only. Others are designed to destroy film, typewriter ribbons, photographs, and other material.

Jettisoning or Sinking

Material to be jettisoned during emergency destruction must be placed in weighted bags. The sea depth should be 1,000 fathoms or more. However, if water depth is less than 1,000 fathoms, the material should still be jettisoned to prevent easy recovery.