Summary from Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Audit by City of Austin auditors (November 2013):
The objective of this audit was to evaluate the process for protecting PII that is collected and/or stored by the City.
The audit scope included the City’s policies and procedures related to the protection of PII for Fiscal Year 2013. The types of PII data were limited to SSNs, dates of birth, personal medical information, and personal financial information.
WHAT WE FOUND
The Austin City Code requires that the privacy and confidentiality of City records be protected, but the City does not have an effective process to protect PII. A survey of department directors indicated that although 88% of departments who responded collect or store PII:
- 52% of departments do not have written policies and procedures for the collection, access, storage, and disposal of PII;
- 45% of departments have employees who do not receive training on the collection, access, storage, and disposal of PII; and
- 38% of departments do not have an individual who is responsible for the oversight and security of PII.
Numerous public and private organizations have faced issues resulting from unauthorized disclosures of PII. Such disclosures could lead to serious harm, such as identity theft, for citizens or employees. The City could also face significant financial costs, negative publicity, and a loss of public confidence.
You can download the audit report here (pdf).
h/t, Statesman.com