Comment Re:Declassifying Docs (Score 1) 68
> I used to process all the Security Clearances in Pacific Region in
> Canada, as well as declassify a lot of information in personnel
> files. And held a Secret clearance.
I'm on the opposite of the coin, re-activating my clearance again to
get back into classified projects (again). I've been dutifully
re-reading my briefing materials, especially about producing
classified documents, and have found them to be pretty up-front and
straightforward. Here's a summary (a techie summary, not an
"executive" summary) for those "not in the know":
1. Classified data = _real_ data. Approximations show up all over.
If you're including actual dates, frequencies, or multiple decimal
points, you're probably producing something that's >= Secret.
2. One classified number classifies that paragraph and, therefore, one
or more paragraphs, depending on your writing (notice, we're
talking paper here). Other pages may be unclassified (e.g., no
reeeally accurate numbers), but a document including the SuperDuper
Secret pages is SuperDuper Secret by the transitive property.
3. You are allowed (and encouraged) to produce unclassified documents
/ reports if at all possible. In the above example, take out the
really neat number and your paragraph, page and document level drop
to lowest possible (e.g., Unclassified).
4. Classification is not a toy (WillAffleck's example is depressing
but probably common). The documented government policy here is
"don't be a dick."
5. Classification exists for a reason. The best example I've ever
heard was when talking with mumble mumble about pre/during-Vietnam
War adventures and why he _still_ wouldn't talk about real details,
his reply was "They(TM) didn't know we could get a submarine in
there." I.e., if they didn't know we could get there, they don't
know _why_ We(TM) were there and what We(TM) were there for. Think
about it, when someone goes looking for something, it's because
someone told them "there's something to look for here." Those are
some of the "assets" that are protected by TopSecret++.
> Most, 95%, of the material classified as Secret is junk. The same
> holds for Confidential. I presume, based on inference, that probably
> 50% of Top Secret material is junk.
6. [Partial agreement] Confidential is silly: "potential risk to
national security"?! [I'm quoting poorly but I don't have the
definition in front of me.] The Jerry Springer show is a known
risk to national security (it decreases the average IQ of the
nation ==> bad ==> national security-- ), should it be classified
Secret?
Blah blah blah - this was a bit more than I intended but sometimes a
definition of terms is useful.
The punchline is: sometimes (often) declassification is a good thing;
just getting the paperwork processed decreases the entropy /
bureacracy of the universe. Sometimes, declassification is literally
not possible: in extreme cases, the "asset" in question is still in
"use" and we really don't want people to know how far the "asset" can
shoot, or where the "asset" lives / works / sends his/her children to
school, etc.
Finally, the easiest way to tell if somebody is working on something
classified is if every answer is a variant of "I don't remember." I
still play this game with mumble mumble above:
DB: "So where'd you go in that sub?"
MM: "Out to sea."
DB: "For how long?"
MM: "A while."
DB: "How long could you stay submerged?"
MM: "Long enough."
==
Doctor Bob
Clearance: I don't remember right now.
Project: Yes.
> Canada, as well as declassify a lot of information in personnel
> files. And held a Secret clearance.
I'm on the opposite of the coin, re-activating my clearance again to
get back into classified projects (again). I've been dutifully
re-reading my briefing materials, especially about producing
classified documents, and have found them to be pretty up-front and
straightforward. Here's a summary (a techie summary, not an
"executive" summary) for those "not in the know":
1. Classified data = _real_ data. Approximations show up all over.
If you're including actual dates, frequencies, or multiple decimal
points, you're probably producing something that's >= Secret.
2. One classified number classifies that paragraph and, therefore, one
or more paragraphs, depending on your writing (notice, we're
talking paper here). Other pages may be unclassified (e.g., no
reeeally accurate numbers), but a document including the SuperDuper
Secret pages is SuperDuper Secret by the transitive property.
3. You are allowed (and encouraged) to produce unclassified documents
/ reports if at all possible. In the above example, take out the
really neat number and your paragraph, page and document level drop
to lowest possible (e.g., Unclassified).
4. Classification is not a toy (WillAffleck's example is depressing
but probably common). The documented government policy here is
"don't be a dick."
5. Classification exists for a reason. The best example I've ever
heard was when talking with mumble mumble about pre/during-Vietnam
War adventures and why he _still_ wouldn't talk about real details,
his reply was "They(TM) didn't know we could get a submarine in
there." I.e., if they didn't know we could get there, they don't
know _why_ We(TM) were there and what We(TM) were there for. Think
about it, when someone goes looking for something, it's because
someone told them "there's something to look for here." Those are
some of the "assets" that are protected by TopSecret++.
> Most, 95%, of the material classified as Secret is junk. The same
> holds for Confidential. I presume, based on inference, that probably
> 50% of Top Secret material is junk.
6. [Partial agreement] Confidential is silly: "potential risk to
national security"?! [I'm quoting poorly but I don't have the
definition in front of me.] The Jerry Springer show is a known
risk to national security (it decreases the average IQ of the
nation ==> bad ==> national security-- ), should it be classified
Secret?
Blah blah blah - this was a bit more than I intended but sometimes a
definition of terms is useful.
The punchline is: sometimes (often) declassification is a good thing;
just getting the paperwork processed decreases the entropy /
bureacracy of the universe. Sometimes, declassification is literally
not possible: in extreme cases, the "asset" in question is still in
"use" and we really don't want people to know how far the "asset" can
shoot, or where the "asset" lives / works / sends his/her children to
school, etc.
Finally, the easiest way to tell if somebody is working on something
classified is if every answer is a variant of "I don't remember." I
still play this game with mumble mumble above:
DB: "So where'd you go in that sub?"
MM: "Out to sea."
DB: "For how long?"
MM: "A while."
DB: "How long could you stay submerged?"
MM: "Long enough."
==
Doctor Bob
Clearance: I don't remember right now.
Project: Yes.
