officialuse

Officialuse is a designation used in information governance to indicate that information, documents, or systems are intended for official use by authorized personnel and should not be disclosed to the general public. It is often closely related to, but not identical to, labels such as For Official Use Only (FOUO) or Official Use Only (OUO). The exact meaning and scope of the term can vary by organization, jurisdiction, or sector.

The primary purpose of an official-use designation is to balance transparency with security and operational needs. It signals that the material is not intended for public release but does not necessarily imply a formal legal classification like confidential or secret. In practice, official-use markings are applied to internal memos, emails, reports, forms, and information technology systems to guide handling, access, and dissemination.

Handling and access typically follow need-to-know principles. Documents bearing the designation are often subject to restricted access, secure storage, and defined retention or destruction policies. Organizations may require secure transmission, encryption, or compartmentalized distribution to prevent inadvertent exposure.

Relation to other classifications and policy varies. Some jurisdictions or agencies treat official-use markings as a procedural label within broader classification frameworks, while others rely on separate, legally defined categories. Because the term is not universally standardized, its precise scope and protections can differ between institutions.

In summary, officialuse denotes information intended for official use by authorized personnel, with restricted dissemination and handling practices that supplement an organization’s broader information-security regime.