Executive Office of the President: Procedures for Acquiring Access to and Safeguarding Intelligence Information

Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the Executive Office of the President (EOP) has established procedures for: (1) acquiring personnel access to classified intelligence information, specifically sensitive compartmented information (SCI); and (2) safeguarding such information.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Executive Office of the President	To improve EOP security practices, the Assistant to the President for Management and Administration should direct the EOP Security Officer to revise the March 1998 Security Procedures for the EOP Security Office to include comprehensive guidance on the procedures EOP offices must follow in: (1) acquiring SCI access for its employees; and (2) safeguarding SCI material.	Closed – Implemented Revised procedures containing additional guidance were issued in January 1999.
Executive Office of the President	To improve EOP security practices, the Assistant to the President for Management and Administration should direct the EOP Security Officer to establish and maintain a self-inspection program of EOP classified programs, including SCI in accordance with provisions in Executive Order 12958.	Closed – Implemented The Office of Administration stated it was making the Security Office's personnel available to all EOP to coordinate and assist agency efforts to enhance self-inspection.
Information Security Oversight Office	To properly provide for external oversight, the Director, Information Security Oversight Office, should develop and implement a plan for conducting periodic on-site security inspections of EOP classified programs.	Closed – Implemented The Information Security Oversight Office has resumed conducting security reviews of EOP agencies.

Full Report

Full Report (21 pages)

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Topics

Information Security

Classified informationFederal intelligence agenciesFederal records managementInformation securitySecurity clearancesNational securitySelf-inspection programScience and technologyBackground investigationsExecutive orders