March 15, 2004—The US Department of Homeland Security has launched the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program, which enables the private sector to voluntarily submit infrastructure information to the Federal government to assist the Nation in reducing its vulnerability to terrorist attacks.
“Critical infrastructure” includes the assets and systems that, if disrupted, would threaten national security, public health and safety, economy, and way of life. Although these industries, services, and systems may be found in both the public and private sectors, the Department of Homeland Security estimates that more than 85 percent fall within the private sector.
Under provisions of the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (CII Act), information that is voluntarily submitted per those provisions will be protected from public disclosure until and unless a determination is made by the PCII Program Office that the information does not meet the requirements for PCII. If validated as PCII, the information will remain exempt from public disclosure.
PCII information may be used for many purposes, focusing primarily on analyzing and securing critical infrastructure and protected systems, risk and vulnerabilities assessments, and assisting with recovery as appropriate. Effective immediately, members of the public who wish to submit information may do so through the PCII Program Office.
