Background. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-06-16 outlines recommended actions for all federal departments and agencies to properly safeguard sensitive information assets. In accordance with this OMB memorandum, the Department of Labor (DOL) has drafted DLMS 9-1200, Safeguarding Sensitive Data Including Personally Identifiable Information.
DLMS 9-1200 requires all DOL files to be encrypted when stored or transported on any external storage media device. External media devices include, but are not limited to: laptop computers, USB flash drives (“thumb drives”, “memory sticks”), floppy disks, DVDs, and compact disks (CDs).
In order to assist computer users in complying with this directive, DOL has arranged for new software to be installed on all DOL computers, both desktops and laptops. The software is called PointSec, a security application designed to automatically encrypt data as it moves from DFEC computers to external media devices.
DFEC will shortly be sending by Federal Express your agency password to be used in conjunction with PointSec encrypted data. We will also enclose instructions on how to access the data. All data that you will receive after the passwords have been distributed will be encrypted.