What classification is given to significant impairment of a program or policy directly related to national security?

The classification of "Secret" is applied when the disclosure of information could cause serious damage to national security. This level of classification encompasses significant impairments to programs or policies that are vital to the safety and security of the nation. It indicates that the information is sensitive enough that unauthorized access could lead to substantial harm to national interests.

The classifications like Top Secret and Confidential serve different purposes; Top Secret indicates that information could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security, while Confidential refers to information that could cause damage but not at the same grave level as Secret. Restricted is not an official classification level in the same context as the others and typically refers to access limitations rather than formal security classifications. Understanding the nuances of these classifications is essential for appropriately safeguarding sensitive information related to national security.