Security, Rules for.

 The massive leak of classified documents to an internet gamer’s site has convinced all America’s friends to never share anything with the Americans because it will be leaked all over the world.

Years ago the US Congress passed a law that declares the US has only three classifications for anything, Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret.  This was done because the intelligence services and the armed services had dreamed up all sorts of different classifications of stuff, and when Congressmen asked to see the stuff, they were told that they didn’t have to proper clearance to see it.  So Congress installed the “Only-Three-Levels” system we still have in order from them to see anything they wanted to see if they possessed a Top Secret clearance.

Another security principle is “need to know”.  Unless you have a need to know the information, you don’t get to see the information unless it relates to your mission.  For instance an Army general planning a campaign has a need to know about the enemy.  The same Army general does not have a need to know intelligence on navies.  There was one notorious case where an Army private had access to State Department classified and passed to the Russians.  Need to know was violated in that case.

Back when I was on active duty with USAF the FBI had to do a background check on me to get a mere Secret clearance.  They even visited my old high school and interviewed Fred Swan, my physics teacher and swim team coach.  That was a long time ago.  I don’t know how things work now.  How was this “OG” character that WaPo said did the entire recent massive leak given a security clearance?  What was his need to know all those documents?

Classified is safest on paper and locked in a safe.  Putting the stuff onto Windows computers is asking to have it stolen.  Windows is like Swiss cheese, full of holes. High school kids can break into Windows.  I wonder where the stuff in this week's leak was stored.