National Security Information Handbook

NSI Handbook
Security Classification
determination on a document-by-document basis that the reclassification is required to
prevent significant and demonstrable damage to national security.
The agency must deem the information to be reasonably recoverable, which
means that:
­ Most individual recipients or holders are known and can be contacted and all
forms of the information to be reclassified can be retrieved
­ If the information has been made available to the public via means such as
Government archives or reading rooms, it is withdrawn from public access
The agency originating the information is authorized to declassify and release
information
­ Once the reclassification action has occurred, it must be reported to ISOO and
the National Security Advisor within 30 days
­ The notification must include how the ‘‘reasonably recoverable’’ decision was
made, including the number of recipients or holders, how the information was
retrieved, and how the recipients or holders were briefed
Any recipients or holders of the reclassified information who have current
security clearances shall be appropriately briefed about their continuing legal
obligations and responsibilities to protect this information from unauthorized
disclosure
The recipients or holders who do not have security clearances shall, to the extent
practicable, be appropriately briefed about the reclassification of the information
that they have had access to, their obligation not to disclose the information, and
be requested to sign an acknowledgement of this briefing
The reclassified information must be appropriately marked and safeguarded and
distributed to offices with the need-to-know
The markings shall include the reclassification authority, the date of the action,
and other markings as described in Chapter 4
2-211 Downgrading Classified Information
Information designated a particular level of classification may be assigned a lower
classification level by the OCA. Prompt notice of such downgrading must be provided to
known holders of the information. The overall classification markings and the
classification markings on each page shall be lined through and the appropriate
downgraded marking applied. Prompt notice of such downgrading must be provided to
known holders of the information. The overall classification markings and the
classification markings on each page shall be lined through and the appropriate
downgraded marking applied. The duration of the original classified decision shall be
placed on the Declassify On line. A statement shall be placed on the cover or first page
of the document to identify the OCA who made the downgrading determination by name,
title, and the date of the downgrading decision.
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