[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 32, Volume 1, Parts 1 to 190]
[Revised as of July 1, 1998]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 32CFR159a.11]

[Page 801-802]
 
                       TITLE 32--NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
              CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
 
PART 159a--INFORMATION SECURITY PROGRAM REGULATION--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart B--General Provisions
 
Sec. 159a.11  Security classification designations.

    (a) General. Information or material that requires protection 
against unauthorized disclosure in the interest of national security 
shall be classified in one of three designations, namely: ``Top 
Secret,'' ``Secret,'' or ``Confidential.'' The markings ``For Official 
Use Only,'' and ``Limited Official Use'' shall not be used to identify 
classified information. Moreover, no other term such as ``Sensitive,'' 
``Conference,'' or ``Agency'' shall be used in conjunction with the 
authorized classification designations to identify classified 
information.

[[Page 802]]

    (b) Top Secret. ``Top Secret'' shall be applied only to information 
or material the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be 
expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security. 
Examples of exceptionally grave damage include armed hostilities against 
the United States or its allies; disruption of foreign relations vitally 
affecting the national security; the compromise of vital national 
defense plans or complex cryptologic and communications intelligence 
systems; the revelation of sensitive intelligence operations; and the 
disclosure of scientific or technological developments vital to national 
security.
    (c) Secret. ``Secret'' shall be applied only to information or 
material the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be 
expected to cause serious damage to the national security. Examples of 
serious damage include disruption of foreign relations significantly 
affecting the national security; significant impairment of a program or 
policy directly related to the national security; revelation of 
significant military plans or intelligence operations; compromise of 
significant military plans or intelligence operations; and compromise of 
significant scientific or technological developments relating to 
national security.
    (d) Confidential. ``Confidential'' shall be applied only to 
information or material the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably 
could be expected to cause damage to the national security. Examples of 
damage include the compromise of information that indicates strength of 
ground, air, and naval forces in the United States and overseas areas; 
disclosure of technical information used for training, maintenance, and 
inspection of classified munitions of war; revelation of performance 
characteristics, test data, design, and production data on munitions of 
war.