The Department of Energy and its contractors store and process massive quantities of
sensitive information to accomplish national security, energy, science, and environmental
missions. Sensitive unclassified data, such as personally identifiable information (PII),
official use only, and unclassified controlled nuclear information require special handling
and protection to prevent misuse of the information for inappropriate purposes. Industry
experts have reported that more than 203 million personal privacy records have been lost
or stolen over the past three years, including information maintained by corporations,
educational institutions, and Federal agencies. The loss of personal and other sensitive
information can result in substantial financial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to
individuals and organizations. Therefore, strong protective measures, including data
encryption, help protect against the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.
