DoD Instruction 5200.48

DoD Instruction 5200.48
Title	DoD Instruction 5200.48
Established	200x
Issuing authority	United States Department of Defense
Subject	Controlled Unclassified Information
Status	Active

DoD Instruction 5200.48

DoD Instruction 5200.48 is a United States Department of Defense issuance that addresses handling and safeguarding of controlled unclassified information within the United States Department of Defense, component agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, and associated contractors including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. The Instruction aligns with broader federal initiatives exemplified by the Presidential Executive Order on Classified National Security Information and intersects with statutory frameworks like the Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, and the National Archives and Records Administration directives.

Background and Purpose

DoD Instruction 5200.48 was promulgated in the context of evolving information protection practices after events such as the September 11 attacks and policy shifts influenced by reviews conducted by entities like the 9/11 Commission and the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. Its purpose is to standardize management of certain controlled unclassified information across the Department of Defense, to reduce classification overreach noted in analyses by the Congressional Research Service and oversight by the Government Accountability Office. The Instruction supports interoperability with frameworks used by the National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and allied partners including NATO.

Scope and Applicability

The Instruction applies to DoD Components including the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, the United States Marine Corps, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as well as to cleared defense contractors such as General Dynamics and Raytheon Technologies under contract vehicles like the Federal Acquisition Regulation schedules. It pertains to categories of information historically managed in coordination with the National Archives and is relevant to joint operations involving commands like United States Central Command and United States European Command. Exclusions reflect statutory protections found in laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974 and interagency agreements with bodies like the Department of State.

Definitions and Key Terms

The Instruction defines terms that align with concepts used by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Homeland Security. Key definitions include categories analogous to terminology used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency, and reference handling controls comparable to practices in the Defense Security Service and standards promulgated by ISO bodies. Terms address records management as coordinated with the National Archives and Records Administration and information sharing consistent with guidance from the White House.

Policy and Requirements

Policy directives require safeguarding measures consistent with practices employed by the National Security Council and technical controls referenced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication series. Requirements mandate marking, handling, dissemination, decontrol, and protection standards similar to those enforced by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and operationalized within commands such as United States Strategic Command. The Instruction dovetails with export-control considerations overseen by the Bureau of Industry and Security and coordinates with the Office of Management and Budget policy on information lifecycle.

Roles and Responsibilities

Assigned responsibilities include senior officials across Components such as Secretaries of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force, and agency heads at organizations like the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. Program managers in acquisition programs with primes including BAE Systems and Airbus Defense and Space bear operational responsibilities, while oversight is coordinated with inspectors general like those in the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and legislative committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Implementation and Procedures

Implementation requires integration into training curricula used by institutions such as the United States Naval Academy, the United States Military Academy, and professional schools like the National Defense University. Procedures call for technical controls aligned with architectures promoted by the Department of Energy labs and testing with partners including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Recordkeeping and decontrol procedures coordinate with the National Archives and Records Administration and interagency systems used in multinational exercises like RIMPAC.

Compliance, Oversight, and Enforcement

Compliance is monitored through inspections and audits by entities such as the Government Accountability Office, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, and component inspectors general, and enforced through administrative actions traceable to authorities used by the Office of Personnel Management and federal adjudicatory processes. Violations may result in corrective measures administered by senior leaders in coordination with legal offices including the Department of Justice and congressional oversight by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Category:United States Department of Defense instructions