It goes by many names. The U.S. Department of Defense calls it FOUO “For Official Use Only.” Here at the laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy calls it OUO, “Official Use Only.” But it all means one thing: unclassified information that is exempt from public release under an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.
Although it’s not classified, OUO still needs to be protected due to the security sensitivities of the information. It may involve things like security plans, export controlled technology and critical infrastructure. These are things that may have the potential to damage governmental, commercial or private interests if released to those who do not have a need to know.
For more information on identifying and protecting Official Use Only information, see TMS Training SEC152 OUO Training on Inside Argonne.