Which designation includes Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI)?

The correct designation that encompasses both Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) is Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is a category of unclassified information that requires specific safeguarding and dissemination controls as mandated by law, regulation, or government-wide policy.

PII refers to any information that can be used to identify an individual and must be protected to prevent identity theft and other privacy violations. Similarly, PHI is related to health information that can be tied to an individual, and it is particularly sensitive due to its implications in health privacy laws, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

This classification acknowledges the sensitive nature of both types of information, establishing that they require protection from unauthorized access, misuse, or disclosure. By recognizing PII and PHI as CUI, government agencies are mandated to implement appropriate security measures to secure this data and comply with relevant regulations.

Other designations, such as Top Secret Information, Unclassified Information, or Publicly Available Information do not involve the same level of sensitivity or required protections as CUI regarding personal and health-related data. They either refer to higher security levels or do not necessitate the same standard of safeguarding for sensitive information.