Information whose disclosure could cause grave damage to national security should be assigned which classification?

• A. Public
• B. Confidential
• C. Secret
• D. Top Secret

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that classification levels assign protection based on the harm that could result from disclosure. When information disclosure would cause grave damage to national security, it falls at the Secret level. Top Secret is reserved for information whose unauthorized disclosure could cause exceptionally grave damage, which is a higher level of harm than “grave.” Confidential covers less severe damage than grave, and Public (or Unclassified) implies little or no harm.

So, for information whose disclosure would cause grave damage to national security, the appropriate classification is Secret.