Information, regardless of its form (digital, hard-copy,
magnetic tape, etc.), the release of which could cause harm
to a person's privacy or welfare, adversely impact economic
or industrial institutions, or compromise programs or
operations essential to the safeguarding of our national
interests is designated as SBU to control or restrict its
access. Information designated as SBU shall be afforded
appropriate protection sufficient to safeguard it from
unauthorized disclosure.
Within NASA and the Federal Government, such information
had previously been designated "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY."
This designation was changed at NASA to "Administratively
Controlled Information" for clarity and to more accurately
describe the status of information to be protected.
However, recent efforts to apply consistent terminology
across multiple federal agencies have prompted NASA to
change the designation to "Sensitive but Unclassified."
Therefore the caveat "SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED (SBU)"
will be used to identify sensitive but unclassified
information within the NASA community when that information
is not otherwise specifically described and governed by
statute or regulation. The use of caveats other than SBU
will be governed by the statutes and regulations issued for
the applicable category of information.
(Source: NPR 1600.1 NASA Security Program Procedural
Requirements, Section 5.2.4).