Under EO 13526, knowingly, willfully, or negligently classify information contrary to the requirements is a security violation.

Under EO 13526, knowingly, willfully, or negligently classify information contrary to the requirements is a security violation.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Sometimes

Answer: (A)

Classification decisions must follow established criteria; misclassifying information contrary to those rules is a security violation. EO 13526 lays out how information should be classified, by whom, and under what conditions, with safeguards to prevent improper classification. When someone knowingly, willfully, or negligently applies a classification that does not meet the requirements, it undermines the protection framework, creating either unnecessary protection (overclassification) or exposure (underclassification). That is precisely what the security violation covers, which is why the statement is true. If you’re wondering why the other possibilities don’t fit, they would imply that improper classification isn’t an issue or is only sometimes an issue, which contradicts the order’s intent to enforce proper handling and safeguarding of classified information.

Classification decisions must follow established criteria; misclassifying information contrary to those rules is a security violation. EO 13526 lays out how information should be classified, by whom, and under what conditions, with safeguards to prevent improper classification. When someone knowingly, willfully, or negligently applies a classification that does not meet the requirements, it undermines the protection framework, creating either unnecessary protection (overclassification) or exposure (underclassification). That is precisely what the security violation covers, which is why the statement is true.

If you’re wondering why the other possibilities don’t fit, they would imply that improper classification isn’t an issue or is only sometimes an issue, which contradicts the order’s intent to enforce proper handling and safeguarding of classified information.