Federal employees ordered to attend anti-leaking classes

[Jose Garcia]

Source: The Associated Press

Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency are attending mandatory training sessions this week to reinforce their compliance with laws and rules against leaking classified or sensitive government information.

It is part of a broader Trump administration order for anti-leaks training at all executive branch agencies. The Associated Press obtained training materials from the hourlong class.

Government employees who hold security clearances undergo background checks and extensive training in safeguarding classified information. Relatively few EPA employees deal with classified files, but the new training also reinforces requirements to keep "Controlled Unclassified Information" from unauthorized disclosure.

The EPA occasionally creates, receives, handles and stores classified material because of its homeland security, emergency response and continuity missions. EPA employees also work closely with contractors and other federal agencies that more regularly handle classified information.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/federal-employees-ordered-attend-anti-leaking-classes-50003084

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. hahaha, I'm so glad I retired

At my company, any time a corporate exec screwed up, it seemed that the solution was to create a stupid video class, then sheep-dip the whole employee corps through the hour-long bit of boredom.

The ones I liked in particular involved bribing foreign government officials. As if the $2.45 in my pocket would buy some deep, dark corporate secret. We'd get educated, and the exec who actually bribed someone would continue as usual.

[iluvtennis]

11. I agree...nothing ever happened to the big boy execs, just us peons.

[bigbrother05]

2. It's an annual DoD requirement for Anti-espionage/Classified Info training

The intent is to avoid the Aldridge Ames type of thing as well as avoiding confirming classified operations, "can neither confirm nor deny".

Anyone with more than a couple of years in service has been trained on what's not allowable. Also let whistle-blowers know who to contact within their agency to protect their rights.

[MGKrebs]

3. So this information was apparently leaked.

"The Associated Press obtained training materials from the hourlong class."

[Scarsdale]

10. As Dubya might say

"How ironicalistic"!!

[louis-t]

4. I don't use this very much, but....

Oh, this isn't Borowitz?

[DeminPennswoods]

5. Nothing is more boring than these mandatory training classes

for feds, like I was, who have to attend them.

[rickford66]

6. Also common when working on military contracts.

I got an email this week that I'm signed up for another online course about security. Ugh.

[Perseus]

7. 1984 - George Orwell

This is so pathetic...as if anyone who dislikes (avoiding using the word hate) this administration will suddenly become indoctrinated...

This administration IS a bunch of losers, the problem is that unless they leave, USA and the World have lot to loose as well.

[RainCaster]

8. and I have to take an anti-sexual harassment training class every year. BFD

[FSogol]

9. Wait, Federal Employees can't leak, but highly paid Russian Escorts are encouraged to leak?

Mixed messages from this (mis)administration.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. 'The 1st rule of Anti-Leaking Class: You DO NOT TALK about Anti-Leaking Class.'

Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

more terrific @EPA reporting by @AP. . ('The 1st rule of Anti-Leaking Class: You DO NOT TALK about Anti-Leaking Class.' 'The 2nd rule...' )

Link to tweet