4 ms·

> I also think it's downright odd that they're printed --- most high-level classified documents seem to exist on secure, airgapped, immobile computer systems.

> I also think it's downright odd that they're printed --- most high-level classified documents seem to exist on secure, airgapped, immobile computer systems. I think it's pretty common to print classified documents, since as you say the electronic copies normally live on specific airgapped networks. If you'll need them somewhere without access to that network (e.g. most meetings) printing is the easiest option.

ineedasername 5y ago
But the printed copies are supposed to come with a cover page that says "Burn Before Reading".
- dijit 5y ago
  That’s perhaps a US specific thing. GCHQ used to use banners and footers that said: SECRET//NOFORN There was a bunch of other classification criteria on the cover such as declassification date (if any) and under who’s authority it was classified.
  - wrappingpaper 5y ago
    Another armchair classification expert? GCHQ (being a British intelligence agency) has never used NOFORN as that’s an American handling caveat. The old equivalent would be UK Eyes Alpha (UK nationals, no contractors or embeds) or it’s modern equivalent UK Eyes Only. And no the UK rarely writes “other classification criteria” on the front of documents. Again you’re thinking of the USA. Along with double slashing // also an American thing though occasionally used this side of the pond.
- gpm 5y ago
  What does that mean? Light the cover page on fire before reading the document? Light the document on first instead of reading it? Try and read it while it is burning? Pack it in a pile of pages, light them on fire, and read it after it burns (surprisingly, that actually sort of works)?
  - ineedasername 5y ago
    I suppose any of those would work, but I like that idea of lighting it and frantically trying to read it while it's burning. Or maybe a sophisticated read-while-burning machine that continuously burned that page you had just finished along with something to stir the ashes. Foreign intelligence agencies would develop their own discrete sniffer machines to detect faint traces of soot on people to identify potential intelligence personnel. Counter-intelligence would work on psyops campaigns to promote the health benefits of soot & encourage people to use new deodorants and other body grooming products laced with soot to throw them off soot sniffers. The most advanced burn-while-reading devices would have intricate ventilation and ash-isolation chambers with furnaces that burn hot enough to vaporize the ash to the sub-micron level. Portable versions would occasionally malfunction and spontaneously combust the bearer, fueling that particular subset of the tinfoil hat community. It would be an entire soot-based intelligence community arms race, hilariously ridiculous and immensely fascinating.
ajdlinux 5y ago
If you've lived around government circles for long enough (in my case, merely existing in Canberra for a decade) you inevitably hear stories of senior public servants running through airport terminals, briefcase with classified documents in hand, because the Minister is going to get a plane in ten minutes and their signature is needed on an order for some critical law enforcement or defence matter that has arisen in the last couple of hours. (I've also been told by government friends that there are plenty of very significant government locations where you would assume they have a Top Secret classified, airgapped network, but they don't, even though they have appropriately classified rooms for storing and reading Top Secret print documents.)

ineedasername 5y ago

But the printed copies are supposed to come with a cover page that says "Burn Before Reading".

dijit 5y ago
That’s perhaps a US specific thing. GCHQ used to use banners and footers that said: SECRET//NOFORN There was a bunch of other classification criteria on the cover such as declassification date (if any) and under who’s authority it was classified.
- wrappingpaper 5y ago
  Another armchair classification expert? GCHQ (being a British intelligence agency) has never used NOFORN as that’s an American handling caveat. The old equivalent would be UK Eyes Alpha (UK nationals, no contractors or embeds) or it’s modern equivalent UK Eyes Only. And no the UK rarely writes “other classification criteria” on the front of documents. Again you’re thinking of the USA. Along with double slashing // also an American thing though occasionally used this side of the pond.
gpm 5y ago
What does that mean? Light the cover page on fire before reading the document? Light the document on first instead of reading it? Try and read it while it is burning? Pack it in a pile of pages, light them on fire, and read it after it burns (surprisingly, that actually sort of works)?
- ineedasername 5y ago
  I suppose any of those would work, but I like that idea of lighting it and frantically trying to read it while it's burning. Or maybe a sophisticated read-while-burning machine that continuously burned that page you had just finished along with something to stir the ashes. Foreign intelligence agencies would develop their own discrete sniffer machines to detect faint traces of soot on people to identify potential intelligence personnel. Counter-intelligence would work on psyops campaigns to promote the health benefits of soot & encourage people to use new deodorants and other body grooming products laced with soot to throw them off soot sniffers. The most advanced burn-while-reading devices would have intricate ventilation and ash-isolation chambers with furnaces that burn hot enough to vaporize the ash to the sub-micron level. Portable versions would occasionally malfunction and spontaneously combust the bearer, fueling that particular subset of the tinfoil hat community. It would be an entire soot-based intelligence community arms race, hilariously ridiculous and immensely fascinating.

ajdlinux 5y ago

If you've lived around government circles for long enough (in my case, merely existing in Canberra for a decade) you inevitably hear stories of senior public servants running through airport terminals, briefcase with classified documents in hand, because the Minister is going to get a plane in ten minutes and their signature is needed on an order for some critical law enforcement or defence matter that has arisen in the last couple of hours. (I've also been told by government friends that there are plenty of very significant government locations where you would assume they have a Top Secret classified, airgapped network, but they don't, even though they have appropriately classified rooms for storing and reading Top Secret print documents.)