Similar to the disclosure and access laws such as the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act, the CIA under the EO must withhold specific categories of information in order to protect the national security of the United States. Among the classification categories in the EO, the most relevant to the CIA are:
Other classification categories protect military plans, weapons systems, or operations; scientific, technological, or economic matters; nuclear materials or facilities; and systems, installations, or projects relating to US national security.