Costs of Secrecy Skyrocket to $9 Billion
Secrecy News reports:
The annual financial costs attributable to the national security classification system reached a record high of $9.2 billion in 2005 according to a new report (pdf) from the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO).Classification-related costs include not merely the direct costs of classifying information, which are modest, but also the derivative costs of the personnel security clearance system, physical security for classified material, classified computer security, and more. Most of these costs are incurred within government, but some are due to the handling of classified information within industry.
See "2005 Report on Cost Estimates for Security Classification Activities," Information Security Oversight Office, August 2006.