Introduction of SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED Endorsement

Addition to “Security in the Government Sector” - Introduction of SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED Endorsement#

1. Following the 2006 external review by David Henry and subsequent consultation by the Interdepartmental Committee on Security, on 6 August 2007 Cabinet approved the introduction into use of a new handling endorsement, “Special Handling Required”, to be used in conjunction with the SENSITIVE classification. This Memorandum establishes the use of that endorsement by addendum to “Security in the Government Sector”, pending the full review and update of that document which is now underway.
2. The changes are described at the bottom of this page.
3. Also the changes have been incorporated into the amended Chapter 3 of “Security in the Government Sector”.
4. For holders of paper copies of “Security in the Government Sector”, please download these amendments contained in the above pdf version and make manual changes as described.

Annex H - Use of SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED Endorsement in Conjunction with SENSITIVE Classification#

Special Handling Required

The endorsement SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED may be used with the SENSITIVE classification when it is assessed that the highly sensitive nature of the material requires additional protection.

It is expected that very little information will require the SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement and it should therefore be used sparingly.

The guidelines that follow set out the handling requirements for the SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement that are additional to the requirements for SENSITIVE.

Guidelines

The SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement should be used with the SENSITIVE classification when the compromise of information would be likely to:

• Seriously and substantially damage national finances or economic and commercial interests.
• Seriously impede the effective conduct of government in New Zealand .
• Seriously endanger the safety of any person.

Principles and Clearance Levels

• Only staff cleared by the department to access SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement are authorised to handle the information. This includes all staff involved with transmission, storage and disposal.
• Access to SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement must be on a strict need to know basis.

Electronic Transmission

• SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement must be transmitted by email between New Zealand government agencies using SEEmail or approved equivalent.
• It must be transmitted only to persons who need to know and who are authorised to access SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement.
• An appropriate statement must accompany all SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement transmitted via email indicating that the information is SENSITIVE with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement and should not be forwarded to others except on a strict need to know basis within their organisation and only to staff cleared to access the information.

Electronic Storage

• Access to electronic files must be restricted to those who need to know and who are cleared to access SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement.

Manual Transmission

• Within a single physical location. SENSITIVE material with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement must be enveloped, with a receipt at the discretion of the originator, and either:
• despatched through a department’s own transit system; or
• distributed within a building or part of a building that has been declared a specially protected area; otherwise
• must be double enveloped and sealed with approved seals and carried by authorised messengers.

Manual Storage

• All SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement must be cleared from desks and locked in an approved security container when not in use.
• The storage requirements for material with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement are the same as the minimum requirements for storing material classified CONFIDENTIAL. For these requirements (ie for site, container and lock) refer to Supplement 20 of the Protective Security Manual.

Manual Disposal

• SENSITIVE information with a SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED endorsement should be destroyed by burning, pulping, crosscut shredding or dry maceration.
• If accountable, the destruction should be recorded by marking the record of accountable documents or the file index sheet, where these are used.