Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Volume 2: Appendices
Section 4.2.3 and 4.4.2. > C.2 Rationale and Factors for Services Delivery Support Information > C.2.8 General Government > C.2.8.10 Entitlement Event Information Information Type

C.2.8.10 Entitlement Event Information Information Type

Entitlement event information includes information about events such as death and date of
occurrence, date of a disabling event and the relating data that can reasonably prove the severity
of such disability, proof of age for retirement benefits, birth and relationship of spouse and/or
children who may be entitled to benefits only as auxiliaries of the primary beneficiary, and other
related information needed to process a claim for benefits. This also includes means-related
information required to administer all the means related benefits associated with the Title XVI
(Supplementary Security Income Program) and the new drug provisions of the recently revised
Medicare Program. The recommended security categorization for the entitlement event
information type is as follows:
Security Category = {(confidentiality, Moderate), (integrity, Moderate), (availability, Moderate)}
The confidentiality impact level is based on the effects of unauthorized disclosure of entitlement
event information on the ability of the Federal government to establish qualifications of
individuals to receive government benefits - and to protect individuals and the Federal
government against fraud. Unauthorized disclosure of raw data and other source information for
entitlement operations is likely to violate the Privacy Act of 1974 and other regulations
applicable to the dissemination of personal information.
Unauthorized disclosure of centrally managed entitlement event information can have a serious
adverse effect on agency missions. Therefore for agencies that manage large income information
involving records of the general public, the provisional confidentiality impact level can be
expected to be at least moderate.
Recommended Confidentiality Impact Level: The provisional confidentiality impact level
recommended for entitlement event information is moderate.
The integrity impact level is based on the specific use of the entitlement event information and
not on the time required to detect the modification or destruction of information. In the case of
very large databases containing entitlement event information relating to the general public, there
is a significant probability that erroneous actions will be taken affecting the benefits entitlements
of large numbers of individuals. This can result in at least short-term financial hardship for
citizens. It can also be expected to result in serious disruption of the agency operations due to
the time and resource requirements for taking corrective actions. In such cases, the integrity
impact level would be at least moderate.
Special Factors Affecting Integrity Impact Determination: In the case of smaller organizations, and
where the information affected is limited to employees, the consequences may justify only a low
provisional impact rating.
Recommended Integrity Impact Level: The provisional integrity impact level recommended for
entitlement event information is moderate.
The availability impact level is based on the specific use of the entitlement event information and
not on the time required to re-establish access to the income information. Benefits determination
processes are generally tolerant of reasonable delays. In many cases, disruption of access to
entitlement event information can be expected to have only a limited adverse effect on agency
operations, agency assets, or individuals.
Special Factors Affecting Availability Impact Determination: In the case of very large data bases
containing entitlement event information relating to the general public, there is a significant
probability that processing delays will affect the benefits entitlements of large numbers of
individuals. The larger the number of records affected, the longer the delays that can be
expected to result. This can result in financial hardship for citizens. It can also result in very
serious disruption of the agency operations due to large time and resource requirements for
backlog processing. In such cases, the availability impact level would be at least moderate. In
the case of permanent loss of records, the impact might even be high.
Recommended Availability Impact Level: The provisional availability impact level recommended for
income information is moderate.