The Classified National Security Information Protection Act are enacted to establish the classified national security information protection system for the purpose of safeguarding the national security and national interest.

The term "classified national security information" referred to in this Act means information that is owned by, or under the control of the Government of the Republic of China and that has been determined pursuant to this Act to require protection against unauthorized disclosure, and that is so designated according to its level of classification for the purpose of safeguarding the national security or national interest.

The term “agency” referred to in this Act means central and local government agencies at all levels and their established institutions for testing, research, education, medical care, special fund management, etc., and administrative legal persons.
Individuals, legal persons, or groups the agency entrusts to exercise public power are regarded as agencies within the scope of this Act for their entrusted affairs.

Information may be classified in one of the three designations listed below:
(1) Top Secret -- shall be applied only to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security.
(2) Secret -- shall be applied only to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security.
(3) Confidential -- shall be applied to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause identifiable damage to the national security.

Classification of information shall be held absolute minimum.
In no case shall information be classified in order to:
(1)conceal violations of law or administrative error;
(2)restrain competition;
(3)prevent embarrassment to a person, corporate entity, organization, or agency; or
(4) prevent or delay the public release of information that does not require protection in the interest of the national security.

When an employee of an agency that does not have original classification authority originates information believed to require classification, the information shall be protected in the manner prescribed by this Act and the Enforcement Rules. The information shall be transmitted promptly under appropriate safeguards to the agency which has appropriate subject matter interest and classification authority. That agency shall decide within 30 days whether to classify that information.