Victoria Police must establish policy and protocols to ensure that all Security Classified law enforcement data is adequately protected.  Australian Government Security Classified data must be protected in accordance with Australian Government protective security standards.

Victoria Police must ensure that Agreements with Approved Third Parties establish policy and protocols to ensure that all Security Classified law enforcement data is adequately protected.

Statement of Objective

To ensure that all Classified Law Enforcement Data is adequately protected and that where applicable, the minimum requirements mandated by Australian government protective security standards for protecting Security Classified information are implemented.

Implementation Guidance

It should be noted that these requirements apply to all forms of Security Classified law enforcement data including text, images, audio and video held on computing devices or in hard copy format or other storage media.

Security procedures are designed to increase protection during the use, storage, transfer or transmission and disposal of both paper-based and electronic Security Classified information.  Access to Security Classified information is considered unauthorised if it is not:

a) based on a legitimate ‘need-to-know’; and

b) sanctioned by government policy or agency direction; and

c) an entitlement under legislation.

The Australian Government Protective Security Manual (PSM) provides the definitive policy for the security of Security Classified information (including classified law enforcement data).  The specific requirements to secure Security Classified information are extremely prescriptive and the complexity of controls is dependant of many circumstances.  Victoria Police should refer to the PSM for detailed guidance on effective implementation of security for Security Classified law enforcement data.

As a State Government agency, Victoria Police is not currently obliged to comply with the PSM for law enforcement data owned and generated internally that does not impact national security.  Due to the sensitive nature of classified law enforcement data it is strongly advised that the PSM be applied to Victoria Police Classified Data.