Sensitive compartmented information

Example of intelligence on covert meetings held by the French President François Hollande. The intelligence was collected by the National Security Agency and classified as TOP SECRET//COMINT-GAMMA//ORCON/NOFORN, and released in form of a Global SIGINT Highlight on 22 May 2012.

Sensitive compartmented information (SCI) is a type of United States classified information concerning or derived from sensitive intelligence sources, methods, or analytical processes. All SCI must be handled within formal access control systems established by the Director of National Intelligence.[1]

SCI is not a classification; SCI clearance has sometimes been called "above Top Secret",[2] but information at any classification level may exist within an SCI control system. When "decompartmentalized", this information is treated the same as collateral information at the same classification level.

The federal government requires[3] the SCI be processed, stored, used or discussed in a Sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF).

  1. ^ ICD 1, p. 22
  2. ^ Robert S. McNamara, quoted in Richelson, The Intelligence Community, p. 511
  3. ^ "Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Program". August 13, 2022.