Are declassified documents available to the public?
Most archival records held by NARA are available to the public for research and are either unclassified or declassified. During your research, you may come across “withdrawal notices” or forms that indicate a record is restricted and not available to the public.
Where can I find declassified CIA documents?
the National Archives
The documents will be available on CIA.gov and in the CIA Records Search Tool (CREST) at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. CREST currently houses over 10 million pages of declassified Agency documents.
When was ww2 declassified?
On November 10, 1994, President Clinton issued an Executive order that declassified, in bulk, a selection of classified records within the National Archives.
How long is information classified?
Per EO 13526 section 1.5(d), no information may remain classified indefinitely. Information that would clearly and demonstrably be expected to reveal the identity of a confidential human source or a human intelligence source, is designated “50X1-HUM” with a classification duration of up to 75 years.
Where can I find newly declassified documents?
Find Declassified Documents
- CIA Electronic Reading Room.
- Department of State: Freedom of Information Act.
- FBI Records: The Vault.
- National Security Agency Central Security Service Declassification & Transparency.
- Federation of American Scientists: Project on Government Secrecy.
- Department of Energy OpenNet.
Does the National Archives keep classified documents?
Former government officials and contractors have been known to retain papers containing classified national security information and to eventually donate them to private archives. Often, it is not until these records are formally processed that archivists realize a collection contains classified information.
How do I access declassified documents?
Declassified documents freely available on the web can be found at federal agencies’ web sites (search the agency’s site for “FOIA” or “electronic reading room”), from presidential libraries, research institutes, or other sites, sometimes presented by subject.
What was the first classified document?
WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON — A file designated WCD-9944-X-1 lies under lock and key on the sixth floor of the National Archives. Inside the file, faded and frail with age, is the oldest classified document in the United States. Subject: troop movements in Europe.
What is the highest level of security clearance?
top secret
What is the highest security clearance you can get? The federal government provides three levels of clearance: confidential, secret, and top secret. Top secret clearance is the highest security clearance level anyone can get.
Who decides if a document is classified?
Classification Authority. (a) The authority to classify information originally may be exercised only by: (1) the President and, in the performance of executive duties, the Vice President; (2) agency heads and officials designated by the President in the Federal Register; and.
Where are classified documents stored?
Storage by Classification Level
All classified material must be stored in a secure room, a GSA-approved storage container, such as a cabinet or safe or a vault or modular vault, or a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF).
What declassified documents?
If secret documents or records are declassified, it is officially stated that they are no longer secret.
What are the 4 types of classified matters?
Documents and other information must be properly marked “by the author” with one of several (hierarchical) levels of sensitivity—e.g. restricted, confidential, secret, and top secret.
What does strap mean in security?
STRAP Clearance is an additional clearance granted to certain holders of Developed Vetting (DV) clearance, allowing them to access STRAP code-word material relevant to a particular role.
How much is a Top Secret clearance worth?
Taking into account the intensity of the process, you may be wondering, “How much is a top secret clearance worth?” As reported in January 2021, the average cost of a top secret security clearance was between $3,000 and $15,000, and these costs tend to be paid by the government for its own employees.
Can family members affect security clearance?
Under national security adjudicative guidelines family members or cohabitants living with you who are engaging in criminal activity can pose a risk to your ability to obtain or retain a security clearance.
Where can I find the declassified documents released today?
What color is top secret?
Banner Examples
| State | Hex Value | Font Color |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled (CUI) | #502b85 | white |
| Confidential | #0033a0 | white |
| Secret | #c8102e | white |
| Top Secret | #ff8c00 | black |
What does Protected B mean?
Protected B. Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause serious injury to an individual, organization or government.
What does UK Eyes Only mean?
“UK Eyes Only,” for example, means that the document is only distributed within the UK and not to other countries. The marking may also have a list of countries, often the “five eyes.” The US has traditionally used other markings like REL TO (release to) or NOFORN (no foreign dissemination) for this purpose.
Do secret clearances expire?
When does security clearance lapse? Confidential level clearance, the lowest security threat, is good for 15 years. Secret clearance lasts 10 years. Top Secret clearance must be reinvestigated (reauthorized) every 5 years.
What is the difference between secret and top secret clearance?
The three levels, in ascending order of sensitivity are: Confidential (information that could cause damage to national security); Secret (information that could cause serious damage to national security), and Top Secret (information that could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security).
Does adultery affect security clearance?
Absent the potential for coercion, adultery or an isolated incident involving use of a prostitute usually does not result in the denial of a security clearance under Guideline D. However, when two or more criminal convictions exist, a conviction for soliciting prostitution can be a Guideline J: Criminal Conduct issue.
Will a divorce affect my security clearance?
In most cases, the divorce process itself will not affect an employee’s security clearance. However, the employee or their former spouse may do something that could ultimately cost the employee his or her clearance and potentially a job.
How does a document become declassified?
Information appraised as having permanent historical value is automatically declassified once it reaches 25 years of age unless an agency head has determined that it falls within a narrow exemption that permits continued classification and it has been appropriately approved.