Information Security: Controls Over Unofficial Access to Classified Information
Abstract
The lack of guidance for granting access to historians and former presidential appointees in the Oversight Office directive has resulted in differences in agency regulations. The directive did not. identify the requirements for an individual to be considered a former presidential appointee or historical researcher or. establish definitive security standards regarding the protection of classified information that is released to researchers and appointees. The Department of States regulations for itself and four related agencies provide for personal research assistants working for a former presidential appointee to be given the same degree of access as the appointee. The Department of Defense (DOD) regulations do not provide for personal research assistants, However, according to a DOD official, in practice these assistants would be given the same degree of access as the former appointee, thus resulting in no difference between the agencies practices. We also identified differences in agency regulations governing the level of classified information to which historical researchers may be given access. For example, an Air Force regulation limits historical researchers access to information at the secret level and below, while the Department of Transportation regulation permits historical researchers access to top secret, intelligence, and communications security information.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- AD1178870
Entities
People
- Louis J. Rodrigues
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office