What is the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program?

The Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program is an information-protection program that enhances voluntary information sharing between infrastructure owners and operators and the government. PCII protections mean that homeland security partners can be confident that sharing their information with the government will not expose sensitive or proprietary data. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other Federal, State, tribal, and local analysts use PCII to:

• Analyze and secure critical infrastructure and protected systems,
• Identify vulnerabilities and develop risk assessments, and
• Enhance recovery preparedness measures.

How Does PCII Support Infrastructure Protection?

Designating information as PCII provides a level of protection that facilitates DHS's ability to work directly with the infrastructure owners and operators to identify vulnerabilities, mitigation strategies, and protective measures. PCII increases the value of DHS vulnerability assessment programs such as the Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Protection security surveys and Site Assistance Visits as well as risk management tools such as the Computer-Based Assessment Tool , the Voluntary Chemical Assessment Tool , and the Automated Critical Asset Management System. These programs rely on PCII to protect the infrastructure and vulnerability data they collect from disclosure, which allows DHS the opportunity to use it to improve critical infrastructure protection and resilience.

How Does PCII Protect My Information?

If the information submitted satisfies the requirements of the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (PDF, 11 pages - 53KB), it is protected from:

• The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),
• State, tribal, and local disclosure laws, and
• Use in regulatory actions, and
• Use in civil litigation.

PCII can only be accessed in accordance with strict safeguarding and handling requirements. Only trained and certified Federal, State, and local government employees or contractors may access PCII.