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The United States has three levels of classification: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. Each level of classification indicates an increasing degree of sensitivity. Thus, if one holds a Top Secret security clearance, one is allowed to handle information up to the level of Top Secret, including Secret and Confidential information. If one ...
Top Secret is the highest level of classified information. [4] Information is further compartmented so that specific access using a code word after top secret is a legal way to hide collective and important information. [5] Such material would cause "exceptionally grave damage" to national security if made publicly available. [6]
In order to have access to material in a particular SCI "compartment", the person must first have the clearance level for the material. The SCI designation is an add-on, not a special clearance level. Someone cleared at the SECRET level for some compartment X cannot see material in compartment X that is classified TOP SECRET.
Anyone with access to classified data requires a clearance at or higher than the level at which the data is classified. For this reason, security clearances are required for a wide range of jobs, from senior management to janitorial. According to a 2013 Washington Post article, over 3.6 million Americans had top-secret clearances; almost one ...
SCI is not a classification; SCI clearance has sometimes been called "above Top Secret", [2] but information at any classification level may exist within an SCI control system. When "decompartmentalized", this information is treated the same as collateral information at the same classification level.
The changes call for increased levels of physical security, additional controls to ensure documents aren’t improperly removed, and the assignment of top-secret control officers to monitor users.
After the United States entered into World War II, Britain changed its security classifications to match those of the U.S..Previously, classifications had included the top classification "Most Secret", but it soon became apparent that the United States did not fully understand the UK's classifications, and classified information appeared in the U.S.'s press.
Two top candidates for defense secretary, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, have seemingly been removed from the running, which quieted the rumor mill.