Identifying and Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

This training starts with an overview of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and protected health information (PHI), a significant subset of PII, and the significance of each, as well as the laws and policy that govern the maintenance and protection of PII and PHI. The course is designed to prepare DOD and other Federal employees to recognize the importance of PII, to identify what PII is, and why it is important to protect PII. The Federal government requires the collection and maintenance of PII so as to govern efficiently. However, because PII is sensitive, the government must take care to protect PII, as the unauthorized release or abuse of PII could result in potentially grave repercussions for the individual whose PII has been compromised, as well as for the federal entity entrusted with safeguarding the PII. This course explains the responsibilities for safeguarding PII and PHI on both the organizational and individual levels, examines the authorized and unauthorized use and disclosure of PII and PHI, and the organizational and individual penalties for not complying with the policies governing PII and PHI maintenance and protection. This training is intended for DOD civilians, military members, and contractors using DOD information systems. This course may also be used by other Federal Agencies.