For the public benefit, the national (German) protection of classified information is intended to protect information, objects or knowledge requiring secrecy to ensure the welfare of the German Federal Government or of a German state, independently of the form in which information is represented (a piece of writing, electronic files, the spoken word, etc.). These items are also referred to as classified information (CI, German: Verschlusssachen (VS)). The protection of classified information is implemented under measures ensuring the personal and material protection of classified information.

Personal protection of classified information

Protection of classified information is intended to protect sensitive official information against unauthorised access. The information must only be accessible to a certain group of people. For this reason, groups of people to whom classified information is entrusted as a result of performing a sensitive task must first be subjected to a security vetting. The legal basis of this is the law and the federal requirements and procedures for security vetting, and the protection of classified information (Security Screening Act, SÜG).
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the associated offices at state level contribute to personnel-related measures for the protection of classified information.

Material protection of classified information

The material protection of classified information specifies the access to classified information, the organisation of the protection of classified information, the classification, handling, marking and disclosure of classified information. Furthermore, specifications are made on organisational, material and technical measures for the protection of classified information as well as the use of IT for processing classified information (CI-IT).
In accordance with the SÜG, the BSI is the office responsible for the material protection of classified information in the federal administration and participates in the implementation of the Classified Information Directive (VSA). The tasks of the BSI in the protection of classified information are anchored both in the BSI Act (Section 3 (1) Sent. 2 Nos. 7 and 9 of the BSIG) and in the VSA (Section 5 VSA).

The BSI's activities on the material protection of classified information include, in particular, advice, support, testing, further training and approval of IT security products. The services are primarily directed at federal Security Officers. The BSI only becomes involved at the request of the responsible authority.

Other participating authorities at federal and state level in the protection of classified information are:

• Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) for non-public bodies (business)

  The basis for the procedure for the protection of classified information in the economy is laid down in the Handbook of Industrial Security [Geheimschutzhandbuch für die Wirtschaft] published by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

• Military Counterintelligence Service (BAMAD) for the division of the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg)
• Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV)
• Constitutional protection authorities of the states