CLASSIFIED  MATERIAL  CONTROL To protect the interests of the United States, certain information cannot be available to other countries. This information is given a classifica- tion   that   determines   how   much   protection   it needs. RESPONSIBILITIES The  Chief  of  Naval  Operations  (CNO)  is responsible  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  (SEC- NAV) for all policies related to the maintenance of the security of all classified information within the  Naval  Establishment.  The  Information   and Personnel   Security   Program   Regulation,   OP- NAVINST 5510.1, known as the  Security  Manual, is  the  source  of  the  Navy’s  security  program. From  SECNAV,  to  the  CNO,  to  your  com- manding   officer,   to   your   command   security manager, and   to   you,   responsibilities   and procedures  are  laid  down  and  specified  to protect   classified   information. Do  not  let  information  fall  into  the  wrong hands  through  careless  talk  or  improper  handling and  safeguarding  of  written  information. CATEGORIES   OF   CLASSIFIED INFORMATION Information  is  classified  in  three  categories, each  category  requiring  its  own  level  of  protec- tion. These categories are Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential. Top Secret Top Secret is the designation applied only to information   or   material   the   unauthorized disclosure of which could reasonably 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   communication intelligence’   systems;   and   the   disclosure   of scientific  or  technological  developments  vital  to national  security. Secret Secret  is  the information   or designation  applied  only  to material  the  unauthorized disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to  cause  serious  damage  to  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  national security;  revelation  of  significant  military  plans or  intelligence  operations;  and  the  compromise of   significant   scientific   or   technological developments  relating  to  national  security. Confidential Confidential   is   the   designation   applied   to information   or   material   the   unauthorized disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to cause identifiable damage to national security. Examples   of   identifiable   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; revela- tion  of  performance  characteristics,  test  data, design, and production data of munitions of war. SECURITY   CLEARANCES A security clearance is a determination made that an individual is eligible for access to classified information up to a specific level. However, it is not  an  authorization  for  access  to  that  informa- tion.  It  is  important  to  separate  the  two  terms clearance  and  access.  Clearance   is   determined after  one  of  several  types  of  personal  investiga- tions  is  completed.  Access  is  granted  when  an individual has a need to know information up to a  specific  level. Clearances  are  either  final  or  interim.  Final clearances  are  granted  when  all  investigation requirements  have  been  met  and  are  favorable. Interim  clearances  are  granted,  not  to  exceed  6 months,  when  it  is  established  that  any  delay would be harmful to the national interest and a personal investigation request has been submitted. MARKING   CLASSIFIED   MATERIAL When  it  is  determined  that  information  or material should be assigned a classification, such information  must  be  conspicuously  marked  as described  in  the  following  paragraphs. All original copies of letters, office memoran- dums,  messages,  and  other  documents  that  are typed,  printed,  or  written  in  longhand  must  be 1-7