Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Volume 2: Appendices
APPENDIX D: IMPACT DETERMINATION FOR MISSION-BASED > D.10 Community and Social Services > D.10.4

D.10.4 Postal Services Information Type Postal Services provide for the timely and consistent exchange and delivery of mail and packages between businesses, organizations, and residents of the United States or between businesses, organizations, and residents of the United States and the rest of the world. It also includes the nation-wide retail infrastructure required to make Postal Services easily accessible to customers. (Note: The commercial function of mail is more closely aligned with the "Business and Industry Development" mission in the "Economic Development mission area." The international commercial function of mail is more closely aligned with the "Global Trade" mission in the "International Affairs" mission area). The recommended provisional categorization of thee postal services information type follows: Security Category = {(confidentiality, Low), (integrity, Moderate), (availability, Moderate)} The confidentiality impact level is the effect of unauthorized disclosure of postal services information on the ability of responsible agencies to provide for the timely and consistent exchange and delivery of mail and packages between businesses, organizations, and residents of the United States or between businesses, organizations, and residents of the United States and the rest of the world. The consequences of unauthorized disclosure of most postal services information would have a limited adverse effect on agency operations, agency assets, or individuals. Special Factors Affecting Confidentiality Impact Determination: Exceptions that might have a potential for more serious consequences include privacy information (e.g., information required by the Privacy Act of 1974 or other statutes and executive orders to receive special handling to protect the privacy of individuals). The Privacy Act Information provisional impact levels are documented in the Personal Identity and Authentication information type. Other exceptions include unauthorized disclosure of information that might assist criminals to perpetrate fraud, particularly with respect to income security disbursements. Because registered mail can be employed to transmit classified information, information regarding some registered mail can facilitate unauthorized access to national security information. This can result in assignment of a moderate impact level to such information. Recommended Confidentiality Impact Level: The provisional confidentiality impact level recommended for most postal services information is low. not on the time required to detect the modification or destruction of information. The consequences of unauthorized modification or destruction of postal services information would have, at most, a limited adverse effect on agency operations, agency assets, or individuals. Unauthorized modification or destruction of information affecting external communications (e.g., web pages, electronic mail) may adversely affect operations and/or public confidence in the agency, but the damage to the mission would usually be limited. Special Factors Affecting Integrity Impact Determination: The consequences of unauthorized modification or destruction of postal information might provide terrorists the tools to carry out an attack. The consequences in terms of critical infrastructure protection and risk to human life may be severe. In such cases, the integrity impact of compromise would be high. Another threat is that of unauthorized modification of information to support fraudulent activities (e.g., misdirection of monetary instruments, execution of fraudulent financial transactions). This might result in harm to individuals, but not to agency operations or missions. Recommended Integrity Impact Level: The provisional integrity impact level recommended for most postal services information is moderate. mission, not on the time required to re-establish access to postal services information. The effects of disruption of access to most postal services information or information systems would have an adverse effect on agency operations. Because most postal services information is time critical, extended widespread outages could seriously affect the commerce of the United States. Recommended Availability Impact Level: The provisional availability impact level recommended for postal services information is moderate.