# Presentation: 674047

## Overview of 2002 CIPSEA: Methods to Protect Confidential Tabular Data

- Amrut Champaneri, Ph.D.

- U.S. Department of Transportation
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics

- BTS Confidentiality Seminar Series, March 2003

## Outline

- What is 2002 CIPSEA?
- How does CIPSEA affect Federal agencies?
- Methods to protect confidential tabular data
- Today’s seminar

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## Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA)

- New law affects all executive branch Federal agencies
- Public Law 107-347: Title V of E-Gov’t Act of 2002
- Law available at** -**

- http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ347.107.pdf

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## CIPSEA Subtitle A, Confidential Information Protection

- An agency may collect information under a pledge of confidentiality for statistical purposes
- This information may not be disclosed in identifiable form for any non-statistical purpose without the informed consent of a respondent
- This information is exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

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## CIPSEA Benefits for Federal Agencies

- Most agencies did not have specific laws ensuring confidentiality of information
- Agencies can now better protect data collected for only statistical purposes
- Higher level of confidentiality may encourage respondents to participate in data collections
- Agencies can avoid disputes about withholding information under FOIA requests

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## Information Distinction Under CIPSEA

- Statistical purposes - using  information to describe or make estimates about whole or subgroups of the economy, society, or  environment
- Non-statistical purposes - using information for administrative, regulatory, law enforcement, judicial, or other purposes that may affect the rights, privileges, or benefits of a respondent

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## Information Collected Under CIPSEA

- Statistical purposes
- Must protect data; cannot allow direct or indirect identification of data provider
- Data cannot be shared for non-statistical purposes
- Data can be shared for statistical purposes by written agreements;  data user bound to provide same level of protection
- Class E felony for disclosing confidential data (5 years prison and/or $250,000 fine)

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## Information Collected Under CIPSEA

- Non-statistical purposes
- A Federal agency must clearly explain to data provider _before_ any data is collected, that it will be used for non-statistical purposes
- Data is considered non-confidential

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## Protecting Confidential Data

- If information is collected for a statistical purpose –
- Federal agency must have controls to ensure protection of confidential information
- Must act to protect the information
- Internal agency procedures
- Information in _tables_, charts, graphs, and text
- Microdata; i.e., information about individual data providers

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## Methods to Protect Confidential Tabular Data

- Aggregation – collapse columns or rows
- Perturbation – add “noise” to tabular data
- Add random noise to cells in table
- Round cell values
- Controlled adjustment – target sensitive cells
- Markov – unbiased cycle of cell modification
- Add noise to microdata before creating tables

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## Methods to Protect Confidential Tabular Data

- Complementary cell suppression –
- Blank out sensitive cell data
- Blank out other cells that could be used to recover sensitive cells

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## Practical Considerations in Selecting Statistical Disclosure Methodology for Tabular Data 

Rich Allen
Deputy Administrator, NASS

**Rich Allen**
**Deputy Administrator, NASS**

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