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Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) may be accessed by federal, state or local government employees and their contractors who meet the requirements of the PCII Program standard access policy.
The copy of the critical infrastructure information (CII) that is retained by the submitter is not considered PCII. As such, it is not afforded the protections from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act or similar State and local disclosure laws, and it is not subject to the PCII safeguarding, handling and access requirements.
Before accessing PCII, federal, state or local government employees or contractors must:
The PCII Officer manages the PCII program in an accredited entity and ensures that all PCII received is used, safeguarded, stored and disseminated in accordance with specific procedures. Accredited entities must have a PCII Officer.
Government contractors must also modify relevant contracts to comply with requirements of the PCII Program. Contract modification is not a prerequisite to accessing PCII; however, the contractor must contractually acknowledge his or her responsibilities with respect to PCII as soon as practicable. The PCII Officer certifies that contractors are engaged in activities supporting their accredited entity.
All government organizations must become accredited to ensure consistent application of uniform PCII Program standards. The following accreditation requirements may be completed in any order:
To centralize and streamline the PCII Program, accreditation is generally granted to the highest governing body. This allows local government entities to be covered under the overarching PCII state accreditation. Individuals within an accredited entity must still meet the standard access requirements before accessing PCII.
For more information on the PCII Accreditation Program, e-mail pcii-info@dhs.gov.
The PCII Program Office requires that only trained users can access PCII. This ensures that users receive standardized instruction on PCII safeguarding and handling procedures.
There are two types of training:
To request PCII training, e-mail pcii-training@dhs.gov.
The Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (PDF, 11 pages - 53 KB). and the Final Rule: Procedures for Handling Protected Critical Infrastructure require the PCII Program Office to release any PCII to the parties listed below upon their request:
In addition, PCII may be provided to the DHS Inspector General.
The PCII Program Office will not release PCII under these circumstances without taking measures to ensure that the individuals who receive PCII are authorized to receive it and are properly trained in its protection and use.
This page was last reviewed/modified on August 11, 2008.