Class: 1-9?
Examples of Secret information were given in EO 11652. Secret information, as defined in that EO, "could reasonably be expected to cause damage to the national security," and examples were stated to 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; and compromise of significant scientific or technological developments relating to national security." Examples of Secret information given in current NSC regulations are "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," and "compromise of significant scientific or technological developments relating to national security."12 Again, the NSC examples are the same as the EO 11652 examples and the same as in the DoD Information Security Program Regulations.13 A 1964 DoD instruction provided more-detailed examples of information that might require Secret classification. Some of those examples are as follows:
(1) A war plan or a complete plan for a future operation of war not included under TOP SECRET, and documents showing the disposition of our forces the unauthorized disclosure of which, standing alone, could result in actual compromise of such SECRET plans.
(2) Defense or other military plans not included under TOP SECRET or (1) above including certain development and procurement plans and programs but not necessarily including all emergency plans.
(3) Specific information which, standing alone, reveals the military capabilities or state of preparedness of the Armed Forces, but not including information the unauthorized disclosure of which could result in compromise of a TOP SECRET plan.
(4) Information that reveals the strength of our forces engaged in hostilities; quantities or nature of their equipment; or the identity or composition of units in an active theater of operations or other geographic area where our forces are engaged in hostilities, except that mailing addresses may include organization designation. Information which reveals the strength, identity, composition, or location of units normally requires classification as SECRET in time of war. In peacetime SECRET classification of information pertaining to units may be appropriate when related to war plans, estimates or deployments which involve classified information.
(5) Intelligence and other information, the value of which depends upon concealing the fact that the United States possesses it, except when possession of intelligence or other information concomitantly discloses a particular intelligence or other special operation falling within [the TOP SECRET classification level].
(6) Particulars of scientific or research projects which incorporate new technological developments or techniques having direct military applications of vital importance to the national defense.
(7) Specific details or data relating to new materials or important modifications of materials which reveal significant military advances or new technological developments having direct military application of vital importance to the national defense.
(8) Information of vital importance to the national defense concerning specific quantities of war reserves.
(9) Indications of weakness, e.g., shortages of significant or sensitive items of equipment.14
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