Privacy Impact Assessments

Canadian Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) identify potential privacy threats that exist in new or revamped federal government programs or services. The objective of the assessment is to eliminate or reduce privacy or security threats. All federal departments, agencies and institutions are obliged to conduct PIAs for any programs or services that may raise privacy concerns. As part of the process, the department must examine and asses the procedures for protection of personal information throughout the program’s lifecycle (i.e. collection, storage, usage, disclosure and [...]

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OMB Memorandum 07-16 Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information

Executive Order 13402 commanded the creation of a Presidential Identity Theft Task Force to examine how the Federal Government could better respond to and protect against data breaches resulting in identity theft. Under Federal regulations, such as the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Federal Information Security Management Act, individuals are guaranteed the security of their data, making adequate protection of data a matter of [...]

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OMB Memorandums 06-19 and 04-26: Small Changes with Big Impacts

Memorandum 06-19 was issued by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2006 to update the reporting requirements for data breaches involving personally identifiable information. It also addressed the need to budget in anticipation of providing adequate data security. Memorandum 04-26 was issued in September 2004 regarding personal use policies for employees accessing government computers and the use of file sharing [...]

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Identity Theft Task Force Recommendations

In May 2006, an Executive Order of the President created the Identity Theft Task Force. The Task Force includes members of several Federal agencies and departments. In September 2006, the Task Force released a number of recommendations ahead of the May 2007 document “Combatting ID Theft: Strategic Plan” in order to help agencies get a head start on the growing problem of identity [...]

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Office of Managment and Budget Memos

The Office of Management and Budget is one of several Government departments that issues new regulations and recommendations for protecting information maintained by the Federal Government. OMB Circular A-130, Memorandum-01-05, and Memorandum-05-08 are three important documents issued by the Office of Management and Budget for these [...]

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Guidance on Protecting Federal Employee Social Security Numbers and Combating Identify Theft

Most privacy legislation and executive orders dealing with privacy concern protecting the common citizen’s right to privacy. While Government employees are not always afforded the same privacy and civil liberties rights, the government has taken some steps to safeguard their [...]

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Common Risks Impeding the Adequate Protection of Government Information

In 2007, the Department of Homeland Security an Office of Management and Budget, along with the Presidential Identity Theft Task Force, investigated information privacy and security practices in the United States Government. They developed a report called the Common Risks Impeding the Adequate Protection of Government Information (pdf)which included a list of ten common mistakes made by U.S. departments and agencies and provided recommendations for new practices to be implement to eliminate and reduce security [...]

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Executive Order 12333- United States Intelligence Activities

Executive Order 12333 was issued in 1981 to regulate national intelligence activities. Part I of the Order outlines the goals and responsibilities of major Federal Agencies and Departments involved with national security an intelligence gathering. Part II created regulations for the collection of intelligence [...]

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Open Government Legislation

There are a number of more specific regulations, often attached to more extensive laws, that play a role in privacy protection in the U.S. Government. The Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007, The Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Government in the Sunshine Act all protect privacy by promoting public access to records dealing with Government [...]

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