Mission Assurance Categories (MACs) and Confidentiality Levels (CLs)
The Mission Assurance Category (MAC) reflects the importance of information relative to the achievement of DoD goals and objectives. MACs are primarily used to determine the requirements for availability and integrity. The DoD has three defined mission assurance categories:
MAC I: Information that is determined to be vital to the operational readiness or mission
effectiveness of deployed and contingency forces in terms of both content and
timeliness.
MAC II: Information that is important to the support of deployed and contingency forces.
MAC III: Information that is necessary for the conduct of day-to-day business, but does not
materially affect support to deployed or contingency forces in the short-term.
The Confidentiality Level (CL) is based on whether the system processes classified, sensitive, or public information. MACs and CLs are independent, that is a MAC I system may process public information and a MAC III system may process classified information. The nine combinations of mission assurance category and confidentiality level establish nine baseline IA levels that may coexist within the Global Information Grid (GIG):
- MAC I, Classified
- MAC I, Sensitive
- MAC I, Public
- MAC II, Classified
- MAC II, Sensitive
- MAC II, Public
- MAC III, Classified
- MAC III, Sensitive
- MAC III, Public
CygnaCom Solutions has been participating in Working Groups supporting the Information Assurance Strategy and the DIACAP. Therefore, CygnaCom can assist with a smooth, painless transition to this new strategy and process.