Overview of the Classification system

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The classification system includes the following components:

  • Classifications set requirements for protective security measures to keep the information secure
  • Endorsements set requirements for special handling of the information and/or its dissemination
  • Secure handling requirements define the minimum protective security measures at each classification level
  • Classification system guidance and tools provide guidance to enable agencies to correctly use and apply the Classification System.

Agency specific policies and procedures define the agency’s specific classification policies and procedures describing how the generic classification system policies and requirements are applied in agency’s specific context.

Protective marking

Protective markings are placed on government information and equipment to show the level of protection they need.

The protective marking shows:

  • that the information or equipment has been identified as sensitive in nature
  • the level of protection and special handling the information must have when it is produced, used, stored, shared, transmitted, carried, and disposed of
  • if the information has specific need-to-know access or usage requirement.

Protective markings can be applied to any public record, which includes (but is not limited to) documents, data, reports, letters, books, emails, meeting minutes, videos, audio recordings, verbal conversations, images, digital media, and information and communications technology (ICT) systems and equipment.

Protective markings include classifications and endorsements.

Classifications determine the level of protections required to the information. Endorsements determine the special handling and need-to-know dissemination requirements.

When these markings are applied to government information or equipment, the information or equipment is referred to as being ‘protectively marked’.

See also: Applying protective markings to government information for more information on how to protectively-mark information.

Classifications

Classifications set requirements for protective security measures to keep the information safe and secure. Classifications are divided into two categories:

  • Policy and privacy – classified to protect public interest or personal privacy
  • National security – classified to protect the security, defence, or international relations of New Zealand.

Policy and privacy classifications

The classifications for government information that should be protected because of public interest, national policy, or personal privacy are below. See How to classify information section for more information.

IN-CONFIDENCE 

Use the IN-CONFIDENCE classification when the compromise of information is likely to:

  • prejudice the maintenance of law and order 
  • impede the effective conduct of government 
  • adversely affect the privacy of New Zealand citizens. 

For instance, when the compromise of information could prejudice: 

  • citizens’ commercial information 
  • obligations of confidence 
  • measures for protecting the health and safety of the public 
  • the substantial economic interest of New Zealand 
  • measures that prevent or mitigate material loss to members of the public. 

Or when a compromise of information could: 

  • breach constitutional conventions 
  • impede the effective conduct of public affairs 
  • breach legal professional privilege 
  • impede the government’s commercial activities 
  • result in the disclosure or use of government information for improper gain or advantage. 

SENSITIVE

Use the SENSITIVE security classification when the compromise of information is likely to damage New Zealand’s interests or endanger the safety of its citizens. 

For instance, where compromise could: 

  • endanger the safety of any person
  • seriously damage the economy of New Zealand by prematurely disclosing decisions to change or continue government economic or financial policies relating to:
    • exchange rates or the control of overseas exchange transactions
    • banking or credit regulations
    • taxation
    • the stability, control, and adjustment of prices of goods and services, rents, and other costs and rates of wages, salaries, and other incomes
    • the borrowing of money by the New Zealand Government
    • the entering into of overseas trade agreements
    • impede government negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations).

National security classifications

The classifications for government information that should be protected because of national security are below. See How to classify information section for more information.

RESTRICTED

Use the RESTRICTED security classification when the compromise of information would be likely to adversely affect the national interest.

For instance, where compromise could:

  • adversely affect diplomatic relations
  • hinder the operational effectiveness or security of New Zealand or friendly forces
  • hinder the security of New Zealand forces or friendly forces
  • adversely affect the internal stability or economic wellbeing of New Zealand or friendly countries.

CONFIDENTIAL

Use the CONFIDENTIAL security classification when the compromise of information would cause significant damage to the national interest.

For instance, where compromise could:

  • greatly damage diplomatic relations and cause formal protest or other sanctions
  • damage the operational effectiveness of New Zealand forces or friendly forces
  • damage the security of New Zealand forces or friendly forces
  • damage the effectiveness of valuable security or intelligence operations
  • damage the internal stability of New Zealand or friendly countries
  • disrupt significant national infrastructure.

SECRET

Use the SECRET security classification when the compromise of information would cause serious damage to the national interest.

For instance, where compromise could:

  • raise international tension
  • seriously damage relations with friendly governments
  • seriously damage the security of New Zealand forces or friendly forces
  • seriously damage the operational effectiveness of New Zealand forces or friendly forces
  • seriously damage the effectiveness of valuable security or intelligence operations
  • seriously damage the internal stability of New Zealand or friendly countries
  • shut down or substantially disrupt significant national infrastructure.

TOP SECRET

Use the TOP SECRET security classification when the compromise of information would cause exceptionally grave damage to the national interest.

For instance, where compromise could:

  • threaten the internal stability of New Zealand or friendly countries
  • lead directly to widespread loss of life
  • cause exceptional damage to the security of New Zealand or allies
  • cause exceptional damage to the operational effectiveness of New Zealand forces or friendly forces
  • cause exceptional damage to the continuing effectiveness of extremely valuable security or intelligence operations
  • cause exceptional damage to relations with other governments
  • cause severe long-term damage to significant national infrastructure.

Endorsements

Endorsements warn people that information has special requirements. These are additional markings alongside the classification. These may include restricting access and dissemination based on need-to-know and special handling procedures. Agency specific policy and procedures will detail the endorsements used and any special requirements required for each endorsement.

Endorsement markings may indicate:

  • the specific nature of information
  • temporary sensitivities
  • limitations on access and dissemination
  • how recipients should handle or disclose information.

You should use endorsement markings only when there is a clear need for special care. Remember that endorsement markings are not security classifications in their own right — they mustn’t appear without a security classification.

Policy and privacy endorsement markings

This section provides type of endorsement and their objectives applied to policy and privacy classifications.

Endorsement Objectives
APPOINTMENTS This marking may be used before you announce actual or potential appointments, or during the deliberation stage of a recommendation and approval process.
BUDGET This marking may be used for proposed or actual measures for the Budget before their announcement.
CABINET This marking may be used for material that will be presented to, and/or require decisions by Cabinet or Cabinet committees.
COMMERCIAL This marking may be used for commercially sensitive processes, negotiations, or affairs.
[DEPARTMENT] USE ONLY This marking may be used for material intended only for use within the specified department(s).
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE This marking may be used on material before a designated time at which an announcement or address will be made, or information will be disseminated.
EVALUATIVE This marking may be used for material about competitive evaluations, such as interview records and tender assessments.
HONOURS This marking may be used for material about the actual or potential award of an honour. It may be used:
  • before the announcement of the award
  • during the deliberation stage of a recommendation or approval process
  • when you are considering honours policy matters involving the exercise of the royal prerogative.
LEGAL PRIVILEGE This marking may be used for material that is subject to legal privilege.
MEDICAL This marking may be used for material relating to:
  • medical reports
  • medical records and other material related to them.
STAFF This marking may be used for material containing references to named or identifiable staff.
It can also be used by staff for entrusting personal confidences to management.
POLICY This marking may be used for material relating to proposals for new or changed government policy before publication.
TO BE REVIEWED ON This marking may be used when the classification is to be reviewed at the designated time.

National security endorsement markings 

In addition to the policy and privacy endorsements in the section above, the table below provides additional endorsements and their objectives applied to national security classifications.

ACCOUNTABLE MATERIAL

This marking shows that the information requires:

  • strict control over access and movement
  • regular auditing to ensure its safe custody (use a risk assessment to decide how often to audit).

What constitutes ACCOUNTABLE MATERIAL will vary from agency to agency.

Note: TOP SECRET information is ACCOUNTABLE MATERIAL by default.

NEW ZEALAND EYES ONLY (NZEO)

This marking indicates that access to information is restricted to New Zealand citizens with an appropriate security clearance on a need-to-know basis.

For government information carrying the endorsement marking NZEO and the security classification of IN-CONFIDENCE, SENSITIVE, or RESTRICTED:

If an agency head considers that foreign nationals should be given information marked NZEO, the agency head must consult with the originating agency to see if the endorsement marking is still required or whether it could be modified to enable release. It may be possible to have the endorsement marking removed or to release part of the information by removing the endorsement marking.

For government information carrying the endorsement marking NZEO and the security classification of CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET or TOP SECRET:

Foreign nationals must not be allowed access, even if they have the appropriate

New Zealand security clearance. However, in limited circumstances, agencies may allow information marked NZEO to be viewed by appropriately cleared foreign nationals where there is an essential business need. In all such circumstances, the Director-General of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service must grant approval for this access.

Please note: Use this marking with care. This marking requires the agency to track and restrict information access and dissemination based on the nationality and/or waivers in place before allowing dissemination or access. This endorsement should be used with caution the effort for implementing the security controls can be high. It also requires organisations to restrict who can manage and support the information and systems with NZEO markings. When the information is disseminated to different agencies, it extends the same requirements to all agencies who have access to or receive the information.

RELEASEABLE TO (REL TO)

This marking identifies information that is releasable to the countries or citizens of those indicated countries only.

For example, //RELEASABLE TO NZL, GBR or //REL TO NZL, GBR means that the information may be passed to citizens and the governments of the United Kingdom and New Zealand only.

You must use the appropriate three-letter country codes from the SAI-Global – ISO 3166-1 Codes to represent country names and their subdivisions. See ‘Part 1: Country codes’. For example, common nation tri-graphs are: NZL, AUS, CAN, GBR, USA.

Convention is for originating agency to be listed first, so NZL would be listed first, and the remainder in alphabetical order.

Sensitive compartmented markings

A sensitive compartmented marking is a word indicating that the information is in a specific need-to-know compartment. This word could be a codeword or ‘Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)’.

A compartmented marking is a special type of National Security endorsement marking.

It is often necessary to take security precautions beyond those normally indicated by the security classification to protect compartmented information.

The agency that owns the information specifies what the extra precautions are.