Information Quality

Integrity

Information disseminated by the Census Bureau to the public, independent of the specific distribution mechanism, shall be safeguarded from improper access, modification, or destruction. The Census Bureau will ensure that disseminated information, including original and supporting information, is protected commensurate with the risk and magnitude of harm that could result from the loss, misuse or unauthorized access to or modification of such information. All electronic information disseminated to the public by the Census Bureau adheres to the standards set out in Appendix I, "Security of Federal Automated Information Resources;" OMB Circular A-130; the Computer Security Act; and the Government Information Systems Reform Act. Confidentiality of data collected by every agency within the Department of Commerce is safeguarded under legislation including the Privacy Act and titles 13, 15, and 22 of the U.S. Code. For any formal statistical data releases to the public, the Census Bureau maintains strict procedures to protect premature disclosure of the data before the publicly scheduled date and time of the release.