Previously, in Managing Sensitive Information, GAO found that both departments lacked clear policies, oversight, and training on handling sensitive but unclassified information. When it comes to procedures pertaining to classified information, however, the departments diverge markedly.

GAO concluded that DOE "had a largely successful history of ensuring that information was classified and declassified according to established criteria." GAO cited a National Archives' finding that DOE's management of classified information is among the best in the federal government. The agency has extensive classification guides that specify what information is to be classified, how it should be classified and at what level.

The GAO report also takes note of DOE's "extensive and rigorous oversight program." DOE regularly conducts onsite inspections at field offices, laboratories, and weapons manufacturing facilities across the country. DOE reviewed 12,000 documents from 2000 to 2005 and only 20 documents were found to be misclassified.

DOD's handling of classified information, on the other hand, lacks oversight and contains "weaknesses in training, self-inspection, and security classification guide management," according to GAO. The report reviewed a sample of 111 classified documents and found that 26 percent were misclassified. Moreover, of the 19 training programs reviewed, 8 failed to cover "fundamental classification management principles." GAO found that with over 1.8 million personnel possessing security classification authority, DOD suffers primarily from the lack of a centralized oversight process to ensure conformity with agency policy and existing law.