Who establishes formal control systems for handling SCI?

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) plays a crucial role in establishing formal control systems for handling Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). The DNI is tasked with overseeing and coordinating the entire U.S. intelligence community and ensuring that the handling of SCI aligns with national security policies and regulations. This includes setting clear guidelines and frameworks that govern how SCI is accessed, shared, stored, and protected across various intelligence agencies and organizations.

The importance of the DNI's role is reflected in their authority to create standards and protocols that all agencies must follow, ensuring that information is safeguarded against unauthorized access and that personnel handling such sensitive information are properly vetted and trained. This centralization of oversight helps to maintain a high level of security and integrity within the intelligence community when dealing with highly classified information.

Other organizations, while they play significant roles in the intelligence landscape, do not have the authority or the overarching responsibility for establishing these formal control systems specifically for SCI.