D.16.6 - Substance control

Substance control supports activities associated with the enforcement of legal substances (i.e., alcohol and tobacco) and illegal narcotics laws including trafficking, possession, sale, distribution, and other related activities.

The provisional security categorization recommended for the substance control information type is as follows:

Security category

D.16.6 - Substance control = {(confidentiality, Moderate), (integrity, Moderate), (availability, Moderate)}

Confidentiality Moderate

The confidentiality impact level is the effect of unauthorized disclosure of substance control information on the ability of responsible agencies to enforce legal substances (i.e., alcohol and tobacco) and illegal narcotics laws including trafficking, possession, sale, distribution, and other related activities. Unauthorized disclosure of a significant proportion of substance control information can compromise investigations, cause apprehension operations to fail, and compromise prosecutions. This can have a serious adverse effect on agency operations and place the agency at a significant disadvantage. Special Factors Affecting Confidentiality Impact Determination: Unauthorized disclosure of some routine substance control information is unlikely to have more than a limited adverse effect on agency operations, agency assets, or individuals. The confidentiality impact associated with such information is low. Where the unauthorized disclosure of information exposes sensitive information sources or compromises investigative or interdiction operations, the consequences of unauthorized disclosure of substance control information may have a serious adverse effect on agency operations, significantly degrade mission capability, and/or pose a threat to human life. Where unauthorized disclosure endangers investigations in process, investigative or intelligence information sources, or information regarding witnesses or other critical case file elements, the danger to human life and key agency missions can be significant. Where unauthorized disclosure endangers witnesses or law enforcement officers, the impact level must be rated as high. Other factors affecting confidentiality impacts associated with substance control information are discussed under Section D.16.1 (Criminal Apprehension) and Section D.16.2 (Criminal Investigation and Surveillance). Some substance control information is classified (e.g., some intelligence-derived information). Classified information and other national security information are outside the scope of this guideline. Recommended Confidentiality Impact Level: The provisional confidentiality impact level recommended for most substance control information is moderate.

Integrity Moderate

The integrity impact level is based on the specific mission and the data supporting that mission, not on the time required to detect the modification or destruction of information. The amount of money available to perpetrators significantly increases the insider threat. The consequences of unauthorized modification or destruction of information can be serious if the information is critical to tactical operations i.e., is time-critical. Unauthorized modification or destruction of information affecting external communications (e.g., web pages, electronic mail) may adversely affect operations or public confidence in the agency, but the damage to most missions would usually be limited Special Factors Affecting Confidentiality Impact Determination: Unauthorized modification or destruction of information (particularly time-critical information) affecting internal 187 communications can jeopardize investigations, prosecutions, the lives of witnesses, and the safety of enforcement officers. In some cases, unauthorized modification or destruction of information can result in loss of human life. In such cased, the integrity impact level is high. Other factors affecting integrity impacts associated with substance control information are discussed under Section D.16.1 (Criminal Apprehension) and Section D.16.2 (Criminal Investigation and Surveillance). Recommended Integrity Impact Level: Because the consequences of unauthorized modification or destruction of information can be serious if the information is critical to tactical operations (i.e., is time-critical), the provisional integrity impact level recommended for substance control information is moderate.

Availability Moderate

The availability impact level is based on the specific mission and the data supporting that mission, not on the time required to re-establish access to substance control information. Most substance control processes are usually tolerant of reasonable delays. Special Factors Affecting Availability Impact Determination: The consequences of unavailability of information can be serious if the information is critical to tactical operations i.e., is time-critical. Failure of some processes during tactical operations can result in both threats to human life and severe harm to public confidence in the agency. The impact level assigned to information and information systems associated with these tactical processes is high. Recommended Availability Impact Level: The provisional availability impact level recommended for most substance control information is moderate.