Following sanitisation, TOP SECRET volatile media retains its classification if it stored static data for an extended period of time, or had data repeatedly stored on or written to the same memory location for an extended period of time.
Topic
Treatment of volatile media following sanitisation
Applicable to
Top Secret
History
Priority
must not
Dec 2021
Following sanitisation, TOP SECRET volatile media retains its classification if it stored static data for an extended period of time, or had data repeatedly stored on or written to the same memory location for an extended period of time.
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.
2015
Volatile media must not be reclassified below TOP SECRET if the volatile media either:• stored sensitive, static data for an extended period of time• sensitive data was repeatedly stored or written to the same memory location for anextended period of time.
2010
Volatile media must not be reclassified below TOP SECRET if the volatile media either:• stored sensitive, static, data for an extended period of time• sensitive data was repeatedly stored or written to the same location on the volatile media for anextended period of time.