LBNL is serious about protecting your private information. While most of our work is open and publishable, categories of operational and research information must be protected according to Federal and State Law, as well as our own good judgment. If you have any questions about protecting private information, contact [email protected].
What is Protected Information?
Protected Information includes Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Personal Health Information (PHI). Berkeley Lab defines the following data, alone or in combination, as Protected Information:
- Social security numbers
- Financial account information
- Drivers license numbers
- California state ID number
- Health information with personal identifiers, for example:
- Name plus insurance number
- Employee ID plus treatment information
- Any unique ID plus any medical information
Why do we care so much about privacy?
A loss of Protected Information not only affects people’s privacy, but could hurt LBNL’s reputation and probably affect our open computing environment.
This also means that our employees are our first line of defense. Always ask yourself - do we really need to use Protected Information? Could something else, like employee ID, work just as well?
How can you help us?
Help us by making sure our Protected Information Requirements are met. Note:
- Use of Protected Information must be approved.
- Protected Information may only be stored in Institutional Business Systems (HRIS, FMS, etc)
- Note: eroom, email, gdocs, calendar are NOT Institutional Business Systems.
- Protected Information is prohibited on workstations.
- Contact [email protected] if you need help or suspect our requirements aren't being met.
- Immediately report any suspected or known loss of Protected Information to [email protected]
