Electric Boat is in the process of revising its security policy to allow employees and visitors, after undergoing necessary training, to bring camera-enabled cellphones and devices into most work areas.

Officials would not specify which areas will remain off-limits.

Jeffrey Geiger, the EB president, announced the pending change in a memo circulated to employees Tuesday.

"The change, will, for example, allow you to keep a functional camera and related apps on your personal cell phone/device. And if someone needs to contact you or if you find yourself in an emergency, many of you will be able to use your device, increasing your peace of mind," Geiger said in the memo.

Photography and video recording will still be prohibited.

Current policy does not allow employees or visitors to bring a cellphone that has a camera function onto company property.

In some cases, employees have had the camera function on their cellphones disabled so that they could bring the phone to work.

The revision, which has been several months in the making, "reflects the strong level of trust that I have in you, and responds to numerous requests to maintain connectivity while on the job," Geiger said.

The current policy will remain in effect until all employees complete necessary training, in this case watching a "short video," by Sept. 1.

From that point on, the training will be required annually.

Visitors will complete the training when they go through the badging process to allow entry to the facility.

The proposed changes come at a time of heightened vigilance around classified information getting into the wrong hands.

EB handles billions of dollars in submarine work and some of the most sophisticated technology in the world. The company, and other defense contractors, have made a push to educate their workforces about identifying the insider threat, that employee, who for various reasons, may turn to selling information or technology to foreign adversaries.

"It's our responsibility to protect our business, our products and ultimately the men and women who will operate the superb ships we produce to protect our nation, and I'm confident that we can do that," Geiger said.

j.bergman@theday.com