Headquarters Information Security Program
Office of Headquarters Security Operations

HSO SPOTLIGHT No. 002-2008R: New DOE National Security Information (NSI) Marking Requirement - REVISED

A new classified document marking requirement for all new National Security Information (NSI) documents and those NSI documents activated after April 1, 1996, became effective on February 25, 2008. An activated NSI document means any NSI only document (does NOT include documents containing and marked RD or FRD) which has been retrieved from a filing system and/or is being sent outside the organization. All employees and contractors responsible for classified matter should be made aware of the required use of this new stamp. Should you have questions concerning the new stamp, please contact HQ CMPC Operations at 301-903-9990 or Lesley Nelson-Burns, Office of Classification at 301-903-4861.

The DOE Office of Security Policy (HS-70) has issued the following communiqué concerning the new stamp. Please note that any NSI document created and/or activated after April 1, 1996, is subject to this new marking requirement. To be specifically noted by all NSI document users is the fact that an indicated automatic declassification date or event is no longer authorization to declassify an NSI document - - a derivative declassifier is required to declassify NSI documents generated after April 1, 1996. Request that you emphasize this to all individuals who access NSI documents or media.

The directives listed above include changes from the National Security Information (NSI) Executive Order and its Amendments as well as from lessons learned from field and Headquarters appraisals.

One of the problems observed was that documents that contain NSI only and are marked for “automatic declassification” could still contain classified information that should be protected.

Automatic declassification means declassification without review because (1) the date or event has passed or (2) the age of the document has passed the number of years specified. Beginning today (2/25/08), NSI documents are NEVER automatically declassified. Rather, a review is required since the document may contain RD/FRD that was not identified during the initial review (per Congress), NSI classification that may have been extended (per ISOO) or the document may have other-agency equities (per ISOO).

The “fix” for this problem is to require a Derivative Declassifier review prior to final or actual declassification. For NSI documents marked to declassify on a date or event, the Derivative Declassifier (DD) must review the document (single review only) and then declassify or re-mark with a new date or event or apply RD/FRD markings. For NSI documents that are not marked with a date or event, the standard double declassification review requirement per DOE M 475.1-1B, Chapter V, Part B, paragraph 2 must be performed.

In addition, NSI documents that must place the following stamp on ALL new NSI-only documents:

This new stamp must also be placed on all NSI-only documents dated after April 1, 1996, which become active or are being sent outside the organization.