Declassification and Destruction Flashcards
What are the four types of declassification systems?
A) Scheduled, exempted, mandatory, and systematic
B) 25 year rule, individual review, FOIA, and mandatory
C) Random, automatic, exempted, and scheduled
D) Scheduled, automatic, mandatory, and systematic
D) Scheduled, automatic, mandatory, and systematic
A) Incorrect, exempted is not a declassification system.
B) Incorrect, the 25 year rule is officially called “automatic declassification”. Neither individual review nor FOIA are declassification systems, though a mandatory review could be initiated through a FOIA request.
C) Incorrect, neither random nor exempted are declassification systems.
What is scheduled declassification?
A) The declassification of information that is more than 25 years old and not otherwise prevented from being declassified by an approved exemption
B) A way for members of the public to request the review of specific classified information.
C) The review of classified information that has been exempted from automatic declassification
D) The set date or event, determined by the OCA, which will occur within 25 years from the date of original classification
D) The set date or event, determined by the OCA, which will occur within 25 years from the date of original classification
A) Incorrect, the declassification of information that is more than 25 years old and not otherwise prevented from being declassified by an approved exemption is AUTOMATIC DECLASSIFICATION
B) Incorrect, a MANDATORY DECLASSIFICATION REVIEW way for members of the public to request the review of specific classified information.
C) Incorrect, the review of classified information that has been exempted from automatic declassification is SYSTEMIC DECLASSIFICATION
What is the standard for automatic declassification?
A) Classified records the public has requested reviewed and which, upon review, does not meet the standards for classification.
B) Classified records that have been determined to have permanent historical value will be automatically declassified on December 31st of the year that is 25 years from the date of its original classification.
C) Classified records that, upon periodic review, no longer meet the standards to be exempted from declassification
D) Classified records that are declassified on after a set date or event within 25 years of its original classification
B) Classified records that have been determined to have permanent historical value will be automatically declassified on December 31st of the year that is 25 years from the date of its original classification.
A) Incorrect, this describes the results of a mandatory declassification review
C) Incorrect, this describes systematic declassification
D) Incorrect, this describes scheduled declassification
How can a person easily identify an exemption in instructions for declassification?
A) They are marked with the appropriate numbering convention in the banner lines of the information.
B) The information will be marked by the use of a 25X instruction in the declassification instructions
C) The information responsible for the exemption will be highlighted within the document with the appropriate 25X instruction in the portion marking
D) None of the above
B) The information will be marked by the use of a 25X instruction in the declassification instructions
A) Incorrect, exemptions will be found in the information’s declassification instructions
C) Incorrect, exemptions and justifications will be found in the declassification instructions
D) Incorrect, B is the correct answer.
What is Mandatory Declassification Review, or MDR?
A) Another method of declassifying information based on requesting a review of the information to see if classification is still necessary
B) The review that determines if classified records have permanent historical value.
C) The review of classified information after a date or event to trigger declassification, set by the OCA, has passed.
D) The review of classified information that has been exempted from declassification.
A) Another method of declassifying information based on requesting a review of the information to see if classification is still necessary
B) Incorrect, classified records that have been determined to have historical value are declassified through automatic declassification after 25 years. We do not discuss the review process to determine their historical value in this section.
C) Incorrect, this loosely describes scheduled declassification. However, there is rarely a review process as the declassification instructions are clearly set by the OCA.
D) Incorrect, reviewing exemptions is part of systemic classification
What are three options an OCA has to consider when determining declassification?
A) Level of classification
B) Specific Date
C) Specific Event
D) 25X exemptions
E) 50X1-HUM Exemption
CORRECT
B) Specific Date -
An OCA is directed to determine a date within 10 years of classification to declassify information if possible, and NLT 25 years barring any 25X exemptions.
C) Specific Event -
An OCA is directed to determine an event that is expected to occur within 10 years of classification to declassify information if possible, and NLT 25 years barring any 25X exemptions.
E) 50X1-HUM Exemption -
If declassification reveals the identity of a human source it is automatically exempt from declassification. Only OCAs having jurisdiction over such information may use this designation.
INCORRECT
A) Level of Classification -
Although the level may be a factor in determining specific date or event, it is not one of the consideration guidelines
D) 25X exemptions-
25X exemptions are considered during Mandatory Declassification Reviews and Systematic Declassification, but not during the original classification process.
What type of information does not provide declassification instructions?
A) RD and FRD
B) SAP
C) 50X1-HUM Exemption
D) None of the above, all classified information must have declassification instructions
A) RD and FRD
B) Incorrect, SAP-designated information must include declassification instructions, though it will likely have exemptions from the standard 10-year/25-year declassification rules due to its specially sensitive nature.
C) Incorrect, though HUMINT will often not have a set declassification date or event, the guidance to not declassify information due to the possibility of revealing a source is still a declassification instruction
D) Incorrect, RD and FRD will not have declassification instructions, and any declassification must be coordinated with the DoE
Choose which methods are not approved for destroying classified material.
A) Deleting
B) Burning
C) Shredding
D) Pulverizing
E) Melting
F) Chemical Decomposition
G) Mutilation to preclude recognition
H) Tearing
A) Deleting
H) Tearing
Which agency maintains a list of evaluated destruction products that have been tested and meet performance requirements?
A) GSA
B) NSA
C) DoD
D) DoJ
A) The NSA maintains the evaluated product list, or EPL
What factors should be considered before granting state-of-the-art status? (Multiple Answers)
A) Is the technology helpful to the United States?
B) Is the information known in other countries?
C) Has the information been published?
D) What has already been accomplished in the field?
E) Is the technology related to atomic energy or weapons?
F) What is the opinion of experts in the field?
CORRECT:
B) Is the information known in other countries?
Correct, information known only to the United States should be kept classified until such a time the “cat gets out of the bag” through other countries’ independent research.
C) Has the information been published?
Correct, if specific information about a technology has been published there is no reason to keep it classified.
D) What has already been accomplished in the field?
Correct, if the information is similar to what has already been developed in the technology’s specific field, it should not be kept classified.
F) What is the opinion of experts in the field?
Correct, the best source for determining if a technology is state-of-the-art is to ask those who work in the field.
INCORRECT
A) Is the technology helpful to the United States?
Incorrect, the utility of a technology does not grant it state-of-the-art status. For example, public AI technology like ChatGPT is very useful, but because it is widely known about and published it is not “state-of-the-art” in this sense.
E) Is the technology related to atomic energy or weapons?
Incorrect, though atomic technology often comes with additional considerations (e.g., RD and FRD information), it is not a consideration when determining state-of-the-art status
Who can declassify DoD Information? (Multiple Answers)
A) The Secretary of Defense
B) A Commander
C) Secretaries of the Military Departments
D) Officials delegated by the OCA
E) Officials delegated as declassification authorities
F) Derivative classifiers
CORRECT:
A) The Secretary of Defense
C) Secretaries of the Military Departments
D) Officials delegated by the OCA
E) Officials delegated as declassification authorities
INCORRECT:
B) A Commander
Incorrect, commanders do not have declassification authorities unless specifically designated as such
F) Derivative classifiers
Incorrect, derivative classifiers must follow the declassification instructions on all source documents and are not authorized to amend or declassify information.
What document outlines the requirements on the content of declassification guides?
A) EO 13526
B) DoDM 5200.01
C) DoDI 5200.01
D) ISOO 32 CFR, Parts 2001 and 2003
D) ISOO 32 CFR, Parts 2001 and 2003
A) Incorrect, EO 13526 outlines how classified information should be handled and serves as a guide from which the specifics of ISOO 32 CFR Parts 2001 and 2003 are derived.
B) Incorrect, declassification guidance as applied to all government agencies is under the jurisdiction of the ISOO, so is covered in ISOO CFR Parts 2001 and 2003, Final rules. DoDM is guidance for the DoD only.
C) Incorrect, declassification guidance as applied to all government agencies is under the jurisdiction of the ISOO, so is covered in ISOO CFR Parts 2001 and 2003, Final rules. DoDI is guidance for the DoD only.
What is the required content of a declassification guide? (Multiple Answers)
A) Dissemination controls
B) Subject matter
C) Name and position of the OCA or declassification authority
D) Date of issuance or last review
E) The information to be declassified, downgraded, or remain classified
F) The criminal, civil, and administrative penalties for prematurely declassifying information
B) Subject matter
C) Name and position of the OCA or declassification authority
D) Date of issuance or last review
E) The information to be declassified, downgraded, or remain classified
A) Is incorrect, dissemination controls are a requirement of classification guides not declassification guides
F) Is incorrect, these describe one of the subjects an OCA must be trained in and are not required in declassification guides
What is a systemic declassification review?
A) The declassification system where information exempted from automatic declassification is reviewed for possible declassification.
B) The declassification system where the public can ask for classified information to be reviewed for declassification and public release.
C) The declassification system where an OCA, at the time the information is originally classified, sets a date or event for declassification.
D) The declassification system where information that has been determined to be of historical value is declassified on 31 December 25 years after its original classification date
A) The declassification system where information exempted from automatic declassification is reviewed for possible declassification.
B) Incorrect, the declassification system where the public can ask for classified information to be reviewed for declassification and public release is a MANDATORY DECLASSIFICATION REVIEW
C) Incorrect, the declassification system where an OCA, at the time the information is originally classified, sets a date or event for declassification is SCHEDULED DECLASSIFICATION
D) Incorrect, the declassification system where information that has been determined to be of historical value is declassified 25 years after its original classification date is AUTOMATIC DECLASSIFICATION
What is declassification?
A) The authorized change in the status of information going from classified information to unclassified information
B) The authorized change in status of information going from a higher level of classification to a lower one.
C) Melting, chemical decomposition, pulping, pulverizing, cross-cut shredding, or mutilation to preclude recognition or reconstruction.
D) Incorporating, paraphrasing, restating, or generating in new form any information that is already classified
A) The authorized change in the status of information going from classified information to unclassified information
B) Incorrect, the authorized change in status of information going from a higher level of classification to a lower one is DOWNGRADING
C) Incorrect, these are authorized methods of destroying classified information
D) Incorrect, incorporating, paraphrasing, restating, or generating in new form is DERIVATIVE CLASSIFICATION
