Today, ISOO published its FY 2023 Annual Report to the President. Each year, ISOO reports to the President on the implementation of the Classified National Security Information (CNSI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) programs, following requirements in Executive Orders 13526 and 13556. These Reports summarize ISOO’s oversight activities and make recommendations that seek to improve the effectiveness of how our Government manages and protects this information.
One significant focus area for ISOO was on methods to prevent mishandling of CNSI, as has been reported significantly in the media in recent years. ISOO has a significant role to play in this area, as 32 CFR Part 2001.36(b) provides: “Anyone who becomes aware of organizations or individuals who possess potentially classified national security information outside of government control must contact the Director of ISOO for guidance and assistance. The Director of ISOO, in consultation with other agencies, as appropriate, will ensure that the safeguarding and declassification requirements of the Order are met.”
The CNSI and CUI data gathered from agencies for this year’s Report was once again obtained through ISOO’s multi-year project to modernize data collection methods. Both collections continue to be completed electronically and we only gather information that is (1) valuable for oversight, (2) mandated to be collected, or (3) helpful to agencies to improve their own CNSI or CUI programs.
Other areas of focus in the FY 2023 report include CNSI and CUI program oversight and compliance, National Industrial Security Program (NISP) oversight for cleared industry, and the work of the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) and the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB).