For more recent information about Area 51, see the new Area 51 Research Center maintained by Don Emory.
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From: campbell@ufomind.com (Glenn Campbell, Las Vegas) Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 17:41:33 -0800 |
From: [withheld by request] Subject: Classification of information Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 22:46:31 -0800 Well it's actually very simple, when you get your clearance the levels of classification are very straight forward. They Drill them into you actually. Bottom to top they are: Confidential Secret Top Secret There was also a level between Confidential and Secret known as Restricted that was phased out in the late eighties. There are however layers of Top Secret: Namely code word which almost always has two word qualifiers, you see these in the DOD budget. Prior to the 1950 they were one word codes such as Ultra, Purple, etc. The project names are drawn from the same list as code words. Just holding a Top secret clearance does not clear you for everything. You have to have access to a specific project or information that was code word protected. Example I once worked on a project that was Top Secret "Long Broom". It was cancelled in the cut backs in the nineties but you had to be cleared to work that hardware. But "Long Broom" was only a piece of a larger project with it's own code word. That was how information or technology was compartmentalized. There was also levels of access on how you work on something. That would vary from must be examined only in a secure area to the buddy system where you could not examine something alone but only in pairs. Physical security was also addressed at this level. These levels were numbered 1 through 5 for the physical security required but that may have changed. I've seen some of the BS out there about other levels, but there isn't a need [because?] you can so layer a project in sub-project each within a layer of physical, access and compartmentalized security. Just think if there were more layers you'd have to write those long winded regulations for how each type would be dealt with and train those 19 year old MP's how to enforce those regs. The badge colors I remember were Green or Blue had no clearance, yellow would be confidential, Red was Secret and Top Secret. The physical security whether a cypher locked door, Safe or guard enforced the difference between secret and top secret and the project access. Either you were on the list or you weren't. If you weren't you could have a gold badge with Utlra top secret majestic whatever and you would not get in regardless of rank. No enigma wrapped with in a riddle but that doesn't make a good X-files.
Index: Classification Systems
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Created: Nov 15, 1997