Classification of information, limitations.

CFR · 2024-01-01 · US · Title 6

(a) Information may be originally classified only if all of the following standards are met: (1) An original classification authority is classifying the information; (2) The information is owned by, produced by or for, or is under the control of the United States Government; (3) The information falls within one or more of the categories of information specified in section 1.4 of Executive Order 13526; and (4) The original classification authority determines that the unauthorized disclosure of the information reasonably could be expected to cause identifiable and describable damage to the national security. (b) Information shall be classified as Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential in accordance with and in compliance with the standards and criteria in Executive Order 13526. No other terms shall be used to identify United States classified information except as otherwise provided by statute. (c) If there is significant doubt about the need to classify information it shall not be classified. If classification is warranted but there is significant doubt about the appropriate level of classification it shall be classified at the lower level. (d) Original classification decisions made by a DHS original classification authority shall be incorporated into a security classification guide in a timely manner but no later than one year from the date of the original decision. Such decisions shall be reported to the (e) All DHS security classification guides shall be coordinated through an

official document · source cfr-2024 · id 6:§ 7.21