Check your safe's drawers Published Aug. 22, 2007 By Bryan Cepluch Wright-Patterson Information Security Office WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Did you know the second Friday of March has been designated the base's annual clean-out day for destruction of classified material that's no longer required? Wait a minute. I know what you're thinking now. Why are we talking about a day in March that is still six months away? We're talking about it because you don't have to wait until March 14 to check your classified holdings and ensure you retain only what is truly needed. Department of Defense requires all DOD components with classified establish at least one day each year to focus on properly identification and disposition of unneeded classified material. There are a number of ways to ensure we are checking throughout the year in addition to the annual requirement. Random spot checks rock. Next time you return a document you've been working on to the security container, do a quick scan of adjacent files in the same drawer. Self-inspections also work like a charm. During the self inspection, take an extra 20 minutes to look deeper into your holdings for something that hasn't been used in some time or for a declassification instruction date has come and gone. This is a great way to take care of business and reduce your holdings. We all need to be cognizant of our how much classified we maintain for a few very important reasons. First, the extra precautions we take to protect national security information can save valuable taxpayer dollars. In these fiscally challenging times it can be tough to come up with funding for a new security container. Just as important, it helps to reduce the risk and temptation of espionage. Timely destruction of documents no longer required to perform the mission removes the opportunity for this heinous deed. Lastly, you can vastly reduce the risk of a security incident or inadvertent disclosure by reducing the amount of classified you hold. It's simply easier to control and safeguard a smaller volume of documents. When reviewing documents make sure each is properly marked: - Originator identification (name and address) - Date of document - Classification level - "Original" or "Derivative" classification information - Portion markings - Special handling instructions or caveats - Pay special attention to the "Declassify on" line, which specifies how long the document must remain classified. Don't forget that many classified documents are also science or technical documents which require additional markings like DOD distribution statements or Export Control warnings. What if you find a document that is incorrectly marked? Clarify the markings with the originator of the document. Your security manager or the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Information Security Office can help answer questions if you get stumped. So what do you do with all of those classified documents you've identified for destruction? First off continue to protect them as classified until they are destroyed. You can use an NSA approved shredder or even burn the material at the WPAFB Central Destruction Facility located in Bldg 306, Area B, telephone 255-6971. Just like anything else, a little time up front conducting routine maintenance will lessen the time needed to complete the "big review" in March. Most importantly, keeping a steady pace of reviewing and reducing will take a large step toward protecting our national security. If you have questions about your classified documents or are looking for opportunities to receive further training on handling classified, please contact the Base Information Security Office at 255-4441 or email 88SFS/SFAInformationSecurity@WPAFB.AF.MIL.