Given the developing news story around the classified information leaks by a U.S. Air National Guardsmen, we decided to publish this episode before our regularly-scheduled release date of Thursday.
We discuss what is (and is not) classified information, how the personnel security clearance (PCL) process works, and dispel some myths about the classified world. We walk through classification levels, and touch on controlled access programs, such as Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and Special Access Programs (SAP). We then dive into the story of the current classified information leaks, comparing this to the leaks by Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. We talk about how this story raises insider threat concerns and the consequences of the current leaks, including the possibility of a chilling effect on recent security clearance reform efforts.