Topic

Reclassifying media

Applicable to

all

History

Priority

must

Mar 2022

Before reclassifying media to a lower sensitivity or classification, the media is sanitised or destroyed, and a formal administrative decision is made to reclassify it.

Miscellaneous changes were made to rationale and recommendations throughout the publication to clarify content without changing intent. This included a review from the Guidelines for System Hardening chapter through to the Guidelines for Data Transfers chapter.

Dec 2021

Before reclassifying media to a lower sensitivity or classification, it is either sanitised or the data it stores is reclassified in consultation with data owners, and a formal administrative decision is made to reclassify the media.

Miscellaneous changes were made to rationale and security controls throughout the publication. This included:

• A review from the Using the Information Security Manual chapter through to the Guidelines for Media chapter.

• Security controls suitable for all audiences have been identified with the ‘All’ applicability marking while additional security controls suitable for just government audiences have been identified with the O, P, S and TS applicability markings.

• Security controls suitable for specific classifications have been amended to include their classification(s) in the wording of the security controls to reduce the reliance on applicability markings to confer suitability.

• Tables in security controls have been converted into prose to allow for inclusion in the SSP annex template and the XML list of security controls.

• The use of ‘official’ and ‘highly classified’ terminology has been replaced with specific classifications to remove ambiguity.

• Security controls relating to high assurance ICT equipment have had their applicability narrowed to ‘S, TS’ reflecting that they are intended for the protection of SECRET and TOP SECRET systems and data.

Apr 2021

In order to reclassify media to a lower sensitivity or classification, the media is sanitised (unless the media is read-only) and a formal administrative decision (in consultation with information owners) is made to reclassify the media.

Security control 0330 was amended to reflect that the only way to reclassify rewritable media to a lower sensitivity or classification is via sanitisation followed by a formal administrative decision, noting that destruction of media leads to declassification rather than reclassification. If the media is read-only then only a formal administrative decision is required.

Mar 2021

If reclassifying media to a lower sensitivity or classification, the reclassification of all information on the media has been approved by the originator, or the media has been appropriately sanitised/destroyed and a formal administrative decision has been made to reclassify it.

2017

Agencies wishing to reclassify media to a lower classification must ensure that:• the reclassification of all information on the media has been approved by the originator, or• the media has been appropriately sanitised or destroyed• a formal administrative decision is made to reclassify the media.

Control Text Changed. No public explaination.

2015

Agencies wishing to reclassify media to a lower classification must ensure that:• the reclassification of all information on the media has been approved by the originator, orthe media has been appropriately sanitised or destroyed• a formal administrative decision is made to reclassify the media.

2010

Agencies wishing to reclassify media to a lower classification must ensure that:• the reclassification of all information on the media has been approved by the originator, or the media hasbeen appropriately sanitised or destroyed• a formal administrative decision is made to reclassify the media.

2008

Agencies wishing to re-classify classified media to a lower level must ensure: a. the re-classification of all information on the media has been approved by the originator, or the media has been appropriately sanitised or destroyed to the desired classification b. a formal decision has been made to re-classify the media.