(a) Statutory requirement. The Privacy Act requires that records subject to the Act be maintained with appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards to insure the security and confidentiality of records and to protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to their security or integrity which could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to any individual on whom information is maintained, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(10).

(b) Records maintained in manual form. When maintained in manual form, records subject to the Privacy Act shall be maintained in a manner commensurate with the sensitivity of the information contained in the system of records. The following minimum safeguards, or safeguards affording comparable protection, are applicable to Privacy Act systems of records containing sensitive information:

(1) Areas in which the records are maintained or regularly used shall be posted with an appropriate warning stating that access to the records is limited to authorized persons. The warning also shall summarize the requirements of §2.52 and state that the Privacy Act contains a criminal penalty for the unauthorized disclosure of records to which it applies.

(2) During working hours, (i) the area in which the records are maintained or regularly used shall be occupied by authorized personnel or (ii) access to the records shall be restricted by their storage in locked metal file cabinets or a locked room.

(3) During non-working hours, access to the records shall be restricted by their storage in locked metal file cabinets or a locked room.

(4) Where a locked room is the method of security provided for a system, the bureau responsible for the system shall supplement that security by (i) providing lockable file cabinets or containers for the records or (ii) changing the lock or locks for the room so that they may not be opened with a master key. For the purposes of this paragraph, a master key is a key which may be used to open rooms other than the room containing records subject to the Privacy Act, unless those rooms are utilized by officials or employees authorized to have access to the records subject to the Privacy Act.

(c) Records maintained in computerized form. When maintained in computerized form, records subject to the Privacy Act shall be maintained, at a minimum, subject to safeguards based on those recommended in the National Bureau of Standard's booklet “Computer Security Guidelines for Implementing the Privacy Act of 1974” (May 30, 1975), and any supplements thereto, which are adequate and appropriate to assuring the integrity of records in the system.

(d) Office of Personnel Management personnel records. A system of records made up of Office of Personnel Management personnel records shall be maintained under the security requirements set out in 5 CFR 293.106 and 293.107.

(e) Bureau responsibility.

(1) The bureau responsible for a system of records shall be responsible for assuring that specific procedures are developed to assure that the records in the system are maintained with security meeting the requirements of the Act and this section.

(2) These procedures shall be in writing and shall be posted or otherwise periodically brought to the attention of employees working with the records contained in the system.

[40 FR 44505, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 48 FR 56583, Dec. 22, 1983]