Site Security – CF Pubs

[little jim]

There are always a couple of guys asking for pubs or links to them on here.

I am aware that most of these publications are available through open source internet – however most of them have a warning on the first page similar to this:

WARNING
ALTHOUGH NOT CLASSIFIED THIS PUBLICATION OR
PART OF IT MAY BE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE TO THE
PUBLIC UNDER THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT. ALL
ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN
MUST BE CLOSELY SCRUTINIZED TO ASCERTAIN
WHETHER OR NOT THE PUBLICATION OR PART OF IT
MAY BE RELEASED.

Perhaps we should sort of start self-policing ourselves...just because things like Joining Instructions and lesson plans that aren’t classified or have a security designation doesn’t mean we should start throwing them up and their links up all over the place.

Canadian soldiers are in harm’s way all over the globe – ask an int guy what security classification things like capabilities and enemy TTPs get...

I suggest if you really need a pub you can’t get a work (be it reg or reserve) get someone to send you the details on how to get it through a DLAN email account..just a thought

This was addressed in another thread...

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/30240.0.html

 

[chrisf]

As somone pointed out in the other thread, the AEL is publically available.

 

[Centurian1985]

This may have already been mentioned, but any publication that is unclassified can be discusssed in an open forum.  Thats why they are unclassified, so that everyone can understand the basics about whats going on and allow public and political oversight. 

The only unclassified material that should not be discussed here is information about people currently working in high-risk areas overseas, or what specific areas they are currently working in. (its usually labeled as 'protected' but some stuff always slips throught he net; fortunately I note nobody has done this here - good opsec guys!) 

This usually extends to talking about equipment and tactics as well, but unless someone is posting their patrol/mission op orders here, its all just theory.

 

[chrisf]

This may have already been mentioned, but any publication that is unclassified can be discusssed in an open forum.  Thats why they are unclassified, so that everyone can understand the basics about whats going on and allow public and political oversight.   

The only unclassified material that should not be discussed here is information about people currently working in high-risk areas overseas, or what specific areas they are currently working in. (its usually labeled as 'protected' but some stuff always slips throught he net; fortunately I note nobody has done this here - good opsec guys!)   

You'll notice that on the first or second page of most publications is a notice to the effect of "This publication is unclassified, but parts of it may be exempt from the freedom of information act" or in short, everything in said manual is fair game public discussion, but discretion should still be used. There are also classified manuals out there, and they are marked as such.

Reference classified materials, *all* classified materials are sensitive, and all "protected" documents are classified... *nothing* that has any sort of classification should "slip through"... if a document is classified, you should see the classification on the top and bottom of each page.

Even if there's no classification, use your common sense... if somone doesn't have the common sense to figure that somthing *should* be classified, here's the classifications (As well as an explanation of protected files)

Top Secret - Extremely important to the national interest (IE Information concerning the initial invasion of afghanistan)

Secret - Important to the national interest (IE Information concerning logistics in afghanistan.)

Protected A - Sensitive information in processing, but not concerning the national interest (IE The memo you're writing to your CO concerning additional leave)

Protected B - Sensitive information that's been filed but not concerning the national interest (IE Your med file)

Protected C - Sensitive information concerning ongoing criminal investigations.

Simplest solution, if it's stuff that's available to the public elsewhere, then it's probably safe, but if you aren't sure, don't post.

 

[FredDaHead]

I suggest if you really need a pub you can’t get a work (be it reg or reserve) get someone to send you the details on how to get it through a DLAN email account..just a thought

Just a thought of my own concerning that. I know that at RMC there's probably not that much stuff that we need that we can't get through the official channels (ie the Chain of Command) but we don't have access to the MND intranet (or whatever it's called) or DLAN or anything of the sort. We have our own intranet with mainly just the information pertaining to the College, but CF stuff seems to be rather hard to get.

I'd assume people at Civvie U and even in some PRes units might be in the same situation, and just getting "the details on how to get it" wouldn't cut it. I think in those cases, it would be acceptable to ask online to get certain documents/publications/etc.

Just my RMC First Year opinion, and we all know what that's worth.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Exempt from the Freedom to information act also includes stuff like Client-solicitor stuff, third party etc. When you make a access to information request for ABC&D, they are not supposed to give you stuff about X, although it happens.