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Categories of Security Incidents

Major

Security Violation

A deliberate, negligent, or reckless action that leads to or could lead to the loss, damage, corruption, or disclosure of official resources.

Examples

  • Espionage or suspected espionage
  • Loss or compromise of CONFIDENTIAL or higher-level material, or significant quantities of lower-level material
  • Tampering with security containers or systems
  • Loss, compromise, theft, or attempted theft of protectively marked equipment
  • Compromise of keys to security locks or combination settings
  • Recovery of unreported missing protectively marked material or equipment
  • Unauthorised disclosure of official or protectively marked info, significant loss or compromise of cryptographic material
  • Unauthorised access to an alarm system covering a secured area
  • Loss, theft, attempted theft, recovery, or suspicious incidents involving weapons, munitions, explosives, or hazardous materials
  • Continuous breaches involving the same person or work area, warranting an investigation

Minor

Security Breach

An unintentional failure to observe the protective security mandatory requirements.

Examples

  • Access passes or identification documents lost or left insecure
  • Protectively marked material left in UNCLASSIFIED waste bins
  • Protectively marked material not properly secured or stored

Security Infringement

Any incident that violates internal protective security procedures, other than those that can be categorised as a security breach or violation.

Examples

  • Access doors wedged open for convenience