Classified Information and Mishandling: What It Is, Why It Matters
The U.S. formally adopted classification systems during the World War II era. Executive Order 8381 in 1938 introduced initial categories like “Restricted.” EO 10290 in 1951 under Truman created a more unified system, including “Top Secret.” Later updates came from EO 12065 (Carter, 1978) and EO 13526 (Obama, 2009), now the guiding framework.