Is a type of unauthorized disclosure in which inappropriate measures and controls are used to protect classified information or controlled unclassified information CUI?

This course provides an overview of what unauthorized disclosure is, including specific types of unauthorized disclosure and some common misconceptions about unauthorized disclosure. This course will also discuss the types of damage caused by unauthorized disclosure and the various sanctions one could face if caught engaging in unauthorized disclosure.

NOTE 1: If you are completing this course as a prerequisite for a CDSE instructor-led course or as part of a specific CDSE training curriculum, you must take the Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information and Controlled Unclassified Information Exam in STEPP to receive credit for completion. The passing grade is (75%) for the examination. You may register for the exam via STEPP at https://cdse.usalearning.gov/course/view.php?id=800.

NOTE 2: A certificate is provided after this course is completed; however, there is no record maintained by CDSE. Students must print or save a local copy of the certificate as proof of course completion.

What are types of unauthorized disclosure?

There are two major types of inadvertent unauthorized disclosures, direct and indirect. Within each of those types, there can be either oral or written disclosures.

What is the name for the intentional unauthorized disclosure of classified information?

Espionage: The unauthorized transmittal of classified information to a foreign nation or entities with the intent to harm the US or aid a foreign power.

Is a type of unauthorized disclosure involving the willful negligent?

Data spills are willful, negligent, or inadvertent disclosures of information. They occur when classified information or CUI is transferred or transmitted onto a system that lacks the appropriate security level or, in the case of CUI, that lacks the required protection or access controls.

Is an avenue for reporting the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and controlled unclassified information?

The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) is an avenue for reporting the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and controlled unclassified information (CUI).