32 CFR 2001.10 : National Defense (Part 1 To Parts 2801-2899) — (Parts 800-805 To Parts 2801-2899) — Other Regulations Relating To National Defense (Subchapter A To Parts 2801-2899) — Information Security Oversight Office, National Archives And Records Administration (Part 2000 To Parts 2005-2099) — Classified National Security Information (§ 2001.1 To § 2001.92) — Classification (§ 2001.10 To § 2001.16) — Classification standards.

Identifying or describing damage to the national security. Section 1.1(a) of the Order specifies the conditions that must be met when making classification decisions. Section 1.4 specifies that information shall not be considered for classification unless its unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause identifiable or describable damage to the national security. There is no requirement, at the time of the decision, for the original classification authority to prepare a written description of such damage. However, the original classification authority must be able to support the decision in writing, including identifying or describing the damage, should the classification decision become the subject of a challenge or access demand pursuant to the Order or law.