I had a secret clearance, and it was used for setting up an application to print pages with a classified banner. Once that page was printed, it was technically

I had a secret clearance, and it was used for setting up an application to print pages with a classified banner. Once that page was printed, it was technically classified material. As you know; generation, and possession, and destruction of that material (even if an otherwise blank sheet of paper) - is controlled and documented. In IT projects, most of us with any kind of clearance NEVER see anything controlled. But the clearance is needed in case we ever need to see controlled information, in order to write code, debug it, operate it, or train others to use the system. Though some may eventually end up on a system or program whose very existence is classified. And that fact alone, is often not very special, and may be the only thing they ever "know" that's controlled.