Who must agree on the need to establish an open storage area for classified information?

• A. Cognizant Security Agency And Contractor
• B. GSA And Contractor
• C. NIST And Contractor
• D. CIA And Service Provider

Answer: (A)

Open storage of classified information is allowed only when the approving authority and the organization handling the material both agree to it. The Cognizant Security Agency is the entity responsible for enforcing and approving security requirements for a given program or facility, and the contractor is the party that would implement and operate any open storage area. Together they assess the risk, set the necessary safeguards, and document the conditions under which open storage is permitted. The contractor must comply with those safeguards and maintain accountability, while the CSA provides the official authorization and ongoing oversight. Other organizations like GSA, NIST, or CIA do not have the specific authority to approve or mandate an open storage area for a particular contract, which is why they are not the correct pairing.