Disclosures to public or unclassified information about classified contracts must follow which manual?

• A. NISPOM
• B. NIST SP 800-53
• C. FISMA guidelines
• D. ITAR

Answer: (A)

Disclosures of classified information to the public or about classified contracts are governed by the manual that sets the rules for safeguarding and disseminating classified information within the National Industrial Security Program. This manual, NISPOM, provides the specific requirements for handling, marking, storing, transmitting, and disclosing classified information, including how to manage public or unclassified disclosures related to classified contracts. Other options don’t address these disclosure procedures: NIST SP 800-53 is about security controls for federal information systems; FISMA guidelines cover federal information security management in general; ITAR regulates export and transfer of defense articles and related data. Therefore, the manual that directly governs these disclosures is NISPOM.