Preliminary Pages (55K)

Table of Contents and Figures and Tables (11K)

Summary of Findings and Recommendations (30K)

Chairman's Foreword (77K)

Vice Chairman's Foreword (19K)

I. Overview: Protecting Secrets and Reducing Secrecy: (55K)

Commission Purposes and Objectives

Secrecy Issues Not Addressed by the Commission

Defining Government Secrecy

The Means for Protecting Government Secrets

The Importance of Protecting Secrets

The Intangible Costs of Secrecy

Efforts to Quantify the Costs of Secrecy

Evolving Concepts of National Security

A Statutory Basis for the Secrecy System

The Case for a Statutory Approach

A Proposed Statute

Conclusion

II. Rethinking Classification: Better Protection and Greater Openness (106K)

Toward a Life Cycle Approach to Classification Management

The Secrecy System

Bases for Classification

A Half Century of Executive Orders

Protection of Sources and Methods

Protection Under the Atomic Energy Act

Living With Ambiguity: The Levels of Classification

Controlling Access to Secrets: The "Need-to-Know" Principle

Clarifying Security in Special Access Programs

Protecting Other Government Information

The Classifiers

Original Classification Authorities: The Linchpin of Classification

Derivative Classifiers: Enhancing Accountability Where it Matters

Developing Better Classification Guides

Improving the Training and Education of Classifiers

The Key to Better Classification: The Initial Decision to Classify

The Importance of the Initial Decision

Improving the Initial Decision

Enhancing Implementation and Oversight

A Greater Role for the Congress

The Focal Point: Executive Branch Policy Development and Oversight

Policy Development: Who's in Charge?

Oversight: The Critical Missing Link

A New Approach to Policy Development and Oversight

Strengthening Implementation and Oversight Within Agencies

Conclusion

III. Common Sense Declassification and Public Access: (116K)

Why Public Access Matters

Promising Developments: Declassification Success Stories

Unnecessary Secrecy Persists

Sensible Risk Management

Continuing Barriers to Declassification and Public Access

Declassification Under Past Executive Orders

Executive Order 12958: A Renewed Focus on Declassification

Declassification and the Freedom of Information Act

How Much Is Still Classified?

How Long Does It Take Before Information Is Declassified

How Much Does Declassification Cost

The Impact of Agency Equities: Multiple Agency Reviews Mean Multiple Delays

The Current State of Agency Records Management

Agency Attitudes Affect Public Access

Public Access in the Information Age

Adequate Oversight Is Crucical to Sensible Declassification Policies

Recommendations for Improving Declassification and Public Access

Establishing A National Declassification Center to Coordinate Public Access Policy

Clarifying Protection of Sources and Methods Information

Improving Records Management and Other Agency Practices to Promote Public Access

Conclusion

IV. Personnel Security: Protection Through Detection: (74K)

Overview of the Personnel Security Process

The Background Investigation

Types of Investigations

Investigative Costs

The Adjudication

Improving the Current System

Modernizing the System's Cold War Foundations

Increasing Clearance Reciprocity and Standardization

Enhancing Investigative Quality

Reducing Inefficiencies in the Processing of Cases

Addressing Transparency and Due Process Concerns

Allocating Resources More Effectively

Strengthening Employee Assistance Programs

Assessing the Value of Financial Disclosure

Advancing Polygraph Research

Making the Clearance Process More Efficient Through Automation

Conclusion

V. Information Age Insecurity: (152K)

Federal Government Information Security and the National Information Infrastructure

The Growing Threat to Information Systems Security

The Improving Federal Response

Improving Oversight Mechanisms

Enhancing Executive Branch Oversight and Policy Formulation

Enhancing Congressional Oversight and Policy Formulation

Addressing Current Problems

Preventing Redundancies in Technology Development

Promoting Government-Industry Cooperation

Discouraging the Use of Classification as an Alternative to Effective Information Systems Security

Encouraging Greater Accountability and Leadership

Planning for the Future

Disseminating Threat Information

Increasing Awareness of Computer Attacks

Developing Auditing and Intrusion Detection Capabilities

Including Security in Automation Projects

Professionalizing Information Systems Security

Strengthening Information Technology Training and Awareness

Conclusion

VI. Appendices:

A. Secrecy: A Brief Account of the American Experience (746K)

B. Commission's Authorizing Statute (17K)

C. Summary Recommendations (11K)

D. Biographical Information (11K)

E. Acknowledgments (15K)

F. List of Commission Meetings and Programs (33K)

G. Major Reviews of the U.S. Secrecy System (9K)

H. Acronyms and Abbreviations (7K)