List of security clearances, page 4

From en.wikipedia.org...

The United States government, for example, has a formal hierarchy of classification for secrets:

Top secret � this is the highest security level, and is defined as information which would cause "exceptionally grave damage" to national security if disclosed to the public. This classification is most often subdivided on the basis of "need to know", and includes such information as the design of cutting-edge weaponry, etc.

Secret � the second highest classification may include, for example, details of other security measures and procedures. It is defined as information which would cause "serious damage" to national security if disclosed.

Confidential � is the lowest classification level. It is defined as information which would "damage" national security if disclosed.

Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) � data which is not related to national security but whose disclosure to the public could cause some harm; such data includes personal demographic information from recent censuses, for example. This category is often referred to as Unclassified/FOUO or for official use only.

Unclassified � not technically a "classification", this is the default, and refers to information that is not sensitive and can be freely disclosed to the public. Information which was previously classified under one of the above levels is often declared "unclassified" at a certain time because its age has made its classification no longer necessary. Past troop movements are one example; they may be of paramount importance before occurring, and shortly after, but ten years later will not require classification.

My comments: According to Disclosure Project witnesses there are various categories, or compartmentalizations within these classifications that deal with specific subjects. For example 'Cosmic' deals with UFO/ET issues, 'Crypto' for signals intelligence, etc. I've also heard of 'Umbra' and 'Ultra', but I don't know what projects they refer to. The point is to create separate and secure compartments of information. So on the ET/UFO issue you'd have Top Secret Cosmic information, that *might* deal with SR-71 interception of UFOs in the airspace of cooperating nations. Photos would be taken of the UFOs and presumably shared with multinational Alien Contact Intelligence Organization subscribers. Then you'd have Unclassified Cosmic which might be stuff like 'Project Bluebook', which would be like a public relations front to cover up and obscure the reality of the phenomena.

If anyone has knowledge to the contrary, I'd be happy to hear about it.

[Edited on 8-4-2004 by Condorcet]