Private information may also be referred to as working documents or work product. It’s very impor-
tant that private information not be disclosed, because it can potentially involve litigation if the dis-
closure was improper.
You’ll learn about the difference between internal and restricted information in the following
sections.
Internal Information
Internal information includes personnel records, financial working documents, ledgers, cus-
tomer lists, and virtually any other information that is needed to run a business. This informa-
tion is valuable and must be protected.
In the case of personnel and medical records, disclosure to unauthorized personnel creates
liability issues. Many organizations are unwilling to do anything more than verify employment
because of the fear of unauthorized disclosure.
A school views student information as internal. Schools can’t release information about stu-
dents without specific permission from the student.
Restricted Information
Restricted information could seriously damage the organization if disclosed. It includes propri-
etary processes, trade secrets, strategic information, and marketing plans. This information
should never be disclosed to an outside party unless senior management gives specific authori-
zation. In many cases, this type of information is also placed on a need-to-know basis—unless
you need to know, you won’t be informed.
Government and Military Classifications
The U.S. government and the military have a slightly different set of concerns relating to infor-
mation classification. Governmental agencies are very concerned about privacy and national
security. Because of this, a unique system of classification and access controls has been imple-
mented to protect information.
Following is a list of some of the types of government classifications:
Unclassified This classification is used to indicate that the information poses no risk of poten-
tial loss due to disclosure. Anybody can gain access to this category of information. Many train-
ing manuals and regulations are unclassified.
Sensitive But Unclassified This classification is used for low-level security. It indicates that
disclosure of this information might cause harm but wouldn’t hhttp://groups.google.ae/group/my-first-chance/web/underwriter?hl=ru
http://groups.google.ae/group/my-first-chance/web/-2?hl=ru
http://groups.google.ae/group/my-first-chance/web/alcohol?hl=ruarm national defense efforts.
The amount of toilet paper a military base uses may be considered sensitive, because this infor-
mation might help an intelligence agency guess at the number of personnel on the base.
