Sensitive compartmented information is a type of United States classified
information concerning or derived from sensitive intelligence sources, methods,
or analytical processes. All SCI must be handled within formal access control
systems established by the Director of National Intelligence.Although some
sources refer to SCI control systems as special access programs, the
intelligence community itself considers SCI and SAPs distinct kinds of
controlled access programs. SCI is not a classification. SCI
clearance has sometimes been called "above Top Secret," but information at
any classification level may exist within an SCI control system. When
"decompartmented," this information is treated the same as collateral
information at the same classification level.
Access Eligibility for access to SCI is
determined by a Single Scope Background Investigation or periodic
reinvestigation. Because the same investigation is used to grant Top
Secret security clearances, the two are often written together as TS/SCI.
Eligibility alone does not confer access to any specific SCI material - it is
simply a qualification. One must receive explicit permission to access an SCI
control system or compartment. This process may include a polygraph or other
approved investigative or adjudicative action.
Once it is determined a person should have access to an SCI compartment, they
sign a nondisclosure agreement, are "read in" or indoctrinated, and the fact
of this access is recorded in a local access register or in a computer
database. Upon termination from a particular compartment, the employee
again signs the nondisclosure agreement. Control systems
SCI is divided into control systems, which are further subdivided into
compartments and sub-compartments. These systems and compartments are usually
identified by a classified codeword. Several such codewords have been
declassified. The following SCI control systems, with their abbreviations and
compartments, are known: Special Intelligence
Special Intelligence is the control system covering communications
intelligence. Special Intelligence is a term for communications intercepts. The
previous title for this control system was COMINT, but this was deprecated in
2011. SI has several compartments, of which
the following are known or declassified: Very Restricted Knowledge
Exceptionally Controlled Information, which was used to group compartments for
highly sensitive information, but was deprecated as of 2011.
GAMMA, which has subcompartments identified by four alphanumeric
characters. Several now-retired codewords protected
SI compartments based on their sensitivity, generally referred to as
Top Secret Codeword and Secret Codeword. These codewords were:
UMBRA for the most sensitive material SPOKE for less sensitive material
MORAY for the least sensitive SI that required codeword protection.
These three codewords, the usage of which was terminated in 1999, were
attached directly to the classification without reference to COMINT or SI, e.g.
Top Secret UMBRA. STELLARWIND
This codeword was revealed on June 27, 2013, when The Guardian published a
draft report from the NSA Inspector General about the electronic
surveillance program STELLARWIND. This program was started by President George
W. Bush shortly after the 9/11 attacks. For information about this program, a
new security compartment was created which was given STELLARWIND as its
permanent cover term on October 31, 2001.
ENDSEAL This control system was revealed in the
2013 Classification Manual. ENDSEAL information must always be classified as
Special Intelligence, so probably it is related to SIGINT or ELINT.
TALENT KEYHOLE TK covers space-based IMINT, SIGINT, and
MASINT collection platforms; related processing and analysis techniques; and
research, design, and operation of these platforms. The original TALENT
compartment was created in the mid-1950s for the U-2. In 1960, it was broadened
to cover all national aerial reconnaissance and the KEYHOLE
compartment was created for satellite intelligence. TALENT KEYHOLE is now a
top-level control system; KEYHOLE is no longer a distinct compartment. Known
compartments include RUFF, ZARF, and CHESS. The KEYHOLE series KH-1 through
KH-4b were part of the new TALENT-KEYHOLE designation.
HUMINT Control System HCS is the HUMINT Control System. This
system was simply designated "HUMINT" until confusion arose between collateral
HUMINT and the control system. The current nomenclature was chosen to
eliminate the ambiguity. KLONDIKE
KLONDIKE protects sensitive geospatial intelligence.
RESERVE RESERVE is the control system for
National Reconnaissance Office compartments protecting new sources and
methods during the research, development, and acquisition process.
BYEMAN BYEMAN is a retired control system
covering certain overhead collection systems, including CORONA and OXCART.
Most BYE content was transferred to TK. BYE Special Handling content was
transferred to Reserve. Markings
SCI control system markings are placed immediately after the classification
level markings in a banner line or portion marking. Sometimes, especially
on older documents, they are stamped. The following banner line and portion
marking describe a top secret document containing information from the notional
SI-GAMMA 1234 subcompartment, the notional SI-MANSION compartment, and the
notional TALENT KEYHOLE-LANTERN compartment:
TOP SECRETSI-GAMMA 1234-MANSION/TALENT KEYHOLE-LANTERNNOFORN
(TSSI-G 1234-M/NF) Older documents were marked with HANDLE
VIA xxxx CONTROL CHANNELS, HANDLE VIA xxxx CHANNELS ONLY, or HANDLE VIA xxxx
CHANNELS JOINTLY, but this requirement was rescinded in 2006. For example,
COMINT documents were marked as HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY. This marking
led to the use of the caveat CCO in portion markings, but CCO is also
obsolete. Notes
Bibliography Explanation of the US Classification
System Critique of the Codeword Compartment in
the CIA, March 1977 DCID 3/29, Controlled Access Program
Oversight Committee, 2 June 1995 ICD 1, Policy Directive for Intelligence
Community Leadership, 1 May 2006 ICD 705, Sensitive Compartmented
Information Facilities, 26 May 2010 ICPG 704.1, Personnel Security
Investigative Standards and Procedures Governing Eligibility for Access to
Sensitive Compartmented Information and Other Controlled Access Program
Information, 2 October 2008 Intelligence Community Authorized
Classification and Control Markings Register and Manual v5.1, 30 March 2012
National Reconnaissance Office Review and Redaction Guide For Automatic
Declassification Of 25-Year-Old Information, 2008
Richelson, Jeffrey. The US Intelligence Community. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
2008. UKUSA COMINT Agreement and Appendices
Thereto, 1951-1953