. "Appendix I: Executive Order on National Security Information." Scientific Communication and National Security. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1982.
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Scientific Communication and National Security
(2) “Secret” shall be applied to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security.
(3) “Confidential” shall be applied to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause damage to the national security.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by statute, no other terms shall be used to identify classified information.
(c) If there is reasonable doubt about the need to classify information, it shall be safeguarded as if it were classified pending a determination by an original classification authority, who shall make this determination within thirty (30) days. If there is reasonable doubt about the appropriate level of classification, it shall be safeguarded at the higher level of classification pending a determination by an original classification authority, who shall make this determination within thirty (30) days.
Sec. 1.2 Classification Authority.
(a) Top Secret. The authority to classify information originally as Top Secret may be exercised only by:
(1) the President;
(2) agency heads and officials designated by the President in the Federal Register; and