How Over-classification is Killing Our Military’s Ability to Work with Innovators

9/18/24

Paul Bracken of Yale University, formerly with the Department of Defense and an advisor to numerous defense organizations, briefed the group on the persistent issue of over classification within the U.S. defense industry and its impact on innovation and national security strategies.

Bracken noted that excessive use of security clearances constitutes a barriers to entry for start ups and smaller innovative private firms, Over classification limits collaboration, stifling technological advancements. While the Pentagon recognizes this and has tired to do reduce these barriers, structural problems persist. In this regard, there is still too much information that is compartmentalized at the high end, and, now, too much information being classified at the low end — e.g., controlled unclassified information (CUI).

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9/18/24

Paul Bracken: “How Over-classification is Killing Our Military’s Ability to Work with Innovators”