January is Operations Security Awareness Month and this year’s theme is Preventing and Reporting Unauthorized Disclosures.

A UD occurs when trusted individuals inside our organization communicate or physically transfer classified national security information or controlled unclassified information — including OPSEC critical information and indicators — to an unauthorized recipient.

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Good OPSEC practices help us avoid UDs or leaks of non-public information, which is crucial to maintaining our nation’s security, personnel safety and public trust.

You should recall that while our organization remains committed to transparency, authorized recipients must be eligible and have a need-to-know prior to any disclosure.

Any type of UD could result in administrative action, referral for criminal or counterintelligence investigation, or in the suspension or revocation of access to classified information.

How to protect CUI and CNSI — including OPSEC critical information

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Here are some important ways you can prevent unauthorized disclosures:

• Throughout your career and when you are no longer a federal employee — you may publish books, articles, speeches, podcasts and briefings, but if they contain official DoD information, there are certain rules you must follow before those items may be publicly released. As outlined in DoD Directive 5230.09, Clearance of DoD Information for Public Release, you must submit the materials for a prepublication and security review before submitting them for public release.
• When using social networking services, the requirements for protecting classified and sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure and the penalties for ignoring those requirements are the same as when using other media and methods of dissemination. Be careful not to publicly make any statement or comment that confirms the accuracy of or verifies information requiring protection. You should refer all media to the Public Affairs Office, which is the official channel.

Example: Posting non-public information to a closed group on a commercial social media platform, even if all members of the group are otherwise authorized to receive the information, is not authorized.

Example: Posting classified or CUI information to any public facing websites, even those operated by the government, is not authorized.

Example: Using a language processing tool to draft DoD meeting minutes, memorandums, trip reports, etc., is not authorized.

Additionally, Executive Order 13526, DoDM 5200.01, and the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual provide guidance for safeguarding classified information from unauthorized disclosure. Here are a few of those general guidelines:

• Properly handle information using the appropriate cover sheet when the information is outside of a General Services Administration approved container.
• Store classified information in GSA approved security containers or other approved methods.
• Follow guidelines for the reproduction of classified information, which include using only copiers designated specifically for reproducing classified information, and for the transmission and transportation of classified information, which include very specific hand carry procedures.
• When you destroy classified information, you must follow the disposal and destruction guidelines.
• Remember, you are required to protect classified information throughout your life, even after you are no longer an employee.

Take action once a suspected or actual UD occurs

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Once you discover or suspect an unauthorized disclosure, you must first protect the information to prevent further unauthorized disclosure by taking personal possession of the material and securing it in a GSA approved security container. Then you must report the unauthorized disclosure to the appropriate authorities, such as your security manager, or if you are a cleared contractor, your facility security officer, who will, in turn, investigate the incident and impose sanctions, if warranted.

Federal employees are required to report the following UDs:

• Release to the Media: The release of classified national security information or controlled unclassified information — including OPSEC critical information — to media or into the public domain, such as, but not limited to, podcast, print articles, internet-based articles, books, journals, speeches, television broadcasts, blogs and postings.
• Release to non-government websites and applications: UDs include the posting or entering of non-public information onto non-government websites or applications. DoD personnel must always be cautious when performing official work using non-government websites, or applications, and will treat any website not ending in .mil or .gov as a non-government website unless otherwise approved in writing by an authorizing official.
• Release, Physical Loss, or Theft: The suspected or actual release, physical loss, or theft of information determined to be CNSI, OPSEC critical information CUI, or any other type of CUI.
• Release to an Unauthorized Recipient: The release of CNSI or CUI — including OPSEC critical information – to an unauthorized person(s).

All DoD personnel are responsible for protecting classified national security information and controlled unclassified information — including OPSEC critical information — from unauthorized disclosure.

Suspected or confirmed unauthorized disclosures of CNSI or CUI must be reported to your local information security office.

Effective OPSEC is critical to our success, as well as the overall safety, prosperity and competitiveness of our nation.

For additional UD training and awareness resources, visit the Center for Development of Security Excellence at https://www.cdse.edu/Training/Toolkits/Unauthorized-Disclosure-Toolkit/, or contact the installation OPSEC office at 573.563.2402.

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