The Industrial Security Program prescribes requirements, restrictions, and other safeguards that are necessary to prevent unauthorized disclosure of classified information and to control authorized disclosure of information released by the US Government Executive Branch Departments and Agencies to their contractors. The proscribed Federal guidance is the National Industrial Security Program Manual (NISPOM).

The Secretary of Agriculture entered into an agreement with the Secretary of Defense that we will render industrial security services through DOD.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) defines a “Classified Contract” as “Any contract that requires, or will require, access to classified information (Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret) by the contractor or its employees in the performance of the contract. A contract may be a classified contract even though the contract document is not classified.”

All “Classified Contracts” must have, at a minimum, the Clause 52.204-2, Security Requirements, incorporated into the contract. This clause binds the contractor to meet the security requirements identified in the National Industrial Security Program Manual (NISPOM).

The FAR says we “shall” use a DD Form 254 (Contract Security Classification Specifications) for classified contracts. This form is used to identify other security requirements that USDA would impose on a contractor. For assistance please call the Information Security Staff.