Levels of security

Federal government contracts contain clauses with security requirements. These requirements specify the levels of security needed to safeguard sensitive information, assets and work sites.

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Security requirements and screenings

Learn about the different levels of security for sensitive government information and assets, organizations and personnel.

Table: Security requirements and screening
  Information and assets Worksites Organization screening note 1 of table Personnel screening
Classified Top Secret High security zone Facility security clearance (FSC)
(Top Secret)		 Top Secret
Secret Security zone FSC
(Confidential or Secret)		 Secret
Confidential Operations zone
Protected Protected C Security zone Designated organization screening (DOS) Enhanced reliability status
Protected B
Protected A 		Operations zone Reliability status

Table note

Note 1 of table

A provisional security clearance is available for members of organizations who require access to protected or classified information or assets during the pre-solicitation or bid preparation stage of a procurement process.

Return to table note 1 referrer

Security levels for sensitive government information and assets

Protected information and assets

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could reasonably be expected to cause injury to a non-national interest—that is, an individual interest such as a person or an organization.

Levels of protected information and assets

Protected A

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause injury to an individual, organization or government.

Protected B

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause serious injury to an individual, organization or government.

Protected C

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause extremely grave injury to an individual, organization or government.

Classified information and assets

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could reasonably be expected to cause injury to the national interest, defence and maintenance of the social, political and economic stability of Canada.

Levels of classified information and assets

Confidential

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause injury to the national interest.

Secret

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause serious injury to the national interest.

Top Secret

Applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could cause exceptionally grave injury to the national interest.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization clearances

The authorization to access North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) classified information for a specific contract. Some international contracts require NATO clearances for personnel and organizations.

Security levels for organizations

Designated organization screening (protected)
Allows an organization to send appropriately security screened personnel with a need-to-know to restricted work sites to access protected information and assets.
Facility security clearance (classified)
Allows an organization to send appropriately security screened personnel with a need-to-know to restricted work sites to access protected and classified information and assets.
Provisional security clearance
Allows an organization to obtain personnel security screening for individuals who are part of their bid preparation team. It’s a temporary clearance approved for a specific solicitation process for organizations requiring access to sensitive information prior to responding to a solicitation with security requirements.

Additional security safeguards for organizations

The following organization screenings may be granted to organizations with a DOS or FSC.

Document safeguarding capability
Authorizes an organization to store, handle and protect protected or classified information or assets at their work site(s).
Production capability
Authorizes an organization to manufacture, repair, modify and work on sensitive components or items at their work site.
Shredding capability and bulk storage capability
Authorizes an organization to either destroy sensitive information or assets on their work site or store bulk information or assets on their work site.
Authority to process information technology
Authorizes an organization to process and transmit sensitive information electronically for a specific contract.
Physical security for information technology security, communications security (COMSEC) and information security (INFOSEC)
Authorizes organizations to transmit and receive sensitive information using COMSEC material—that is, items that are designed to secure or authenticate telecommunications information, such as a cryptographic key.

Security levels for personnel

Reliability status (protected)
Required by an employee working on a sensitive government contract to access Protected A or Protected B information and assets.
Enhanced reliability status (protected)
Required by an employee working on a sensitive government contract to access Protected C information and assets.
Security clearance (classified)
Required by an employee working on a sensitive government contract to access classified (Confidential, Secret or Top Secret) information and assets. An employee with a security clearance may also access protected information.
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