[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 77 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 23442-23445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09186]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 77 / Thursday, April 21, 2016 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 23442]]



DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary

6 CFR Part 29

RIN 1601-AA77


Updates to Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to update 
its procedures for accepting Critical Infrastructure Information (CII) 
as a step towards meeting the challenges of evolving technology and 
identifying ways to make the PCII Program's protective measures more 
effective for information-sharing partnerships between the government 
and the private sector. The Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 
2002 authorizes DHS to establish a program to accept information 
relating to critical infrastructure voluntarily submitted from the 
public, owners and operators of critical infrastructure, and State, 
local, tribal, and territorial governmental entities, while limiting 
public disclosure of that sensitive information under the Freedom of 
Information Act and other laws, rules, and processes. To implement this 
authority, DHS issued the ``Procedures for Handling Critical 
Infrastructure Information'' Final Rule in 2006. This Advance Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) provides an opportunity for DHS to hear and 
consider, during the development of new regulations to update DHS's 
PCII program, the views of the private and public sector, and other 
interested members of the public on their recommendations for program 
modifications, particularly subject matter areas that have developed 
significantly since the issuance of the initial rule, such as automated 
information sharing.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 20, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by one of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail:--U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National 
Protection and Programs Directorate, Office of Infrastructure 
Protection, Infrastructure Information Collection Division, 245 Murray 
Lane SW., Mail Stop 0602, Washington, DC 20528-0602.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily R. Hickey, Deputy Program 
Manager, by phone at (703) 235-9522 or by mail at Protected Critical 
Infrastructure Information Program, Office of Infrastructure 
Protection, Infrastructure Information Collection Division, 245 Murray 
Lane SW., Mail Stop 0602, Washington, DC 20528-0602.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Abbreviations and Terms Used in This Document

ANPRM--Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
CFR--Code of Federal Regulations
CII--Critical Infrastructure Information
CII Act of 2002--Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002
DHS--Department of Homeland Security
PCII--Protected Critical Infrastructure Information

I. Background

    The Department of Homeland Security receives sensitive information 
about the nation's critical infrastructure through its congressionally-
mandated PCII Program. The PCII Program provides a secure environment 
for the private sector, government analysts, and other subject matter 
experts to share information that is vital to addressing concerns 
across all critical infrastructure sectors. The Critical Infrastructure 
Information Act of 2002 (Sections 211-215, Title II, Subtitle B of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296) (CII Act of 2002) 
established the PCII Program, which assures owners and operators that 
the information they voluntarily submit is protected from public 
disclosure. Only trained PCII Authorized Users, with a specific ``need-
to-know'', can access PCII and use it only for homeland security 
purposes. In accordance with the CII Act of 2002, on September 1, 2006, 
DHS issued the PCII Program Final Rule (71 FR 52271, codified at 6 CFR 
part 29). This rule established procedures that govern the receipt, 
validation, handling, storage, marking, and use of critical 
infrastructure information voluntarily submitted to DHS. The procedures 
are applicable to all Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial 
government agencies and contractors that have access to, handle, use, 
or store critical infrastructure information that enjoys protection 
under the CII Act of 2002.
    After 10 years of operation, changes are needed to transition the 
managing of submissions, access, use, dissemination and safeguarding of 
PCII to state of the art technology that operates within an electronic 
environment. Throughout this ANPRM DHS discusses and seeks comment on 
the economic impact of transitioning the PCII Program to a preferred 
electronic environment that: (1) Enhances the submission and validation 
process for critical infrastructure information, (2) uses state of the 
art technology for an automated interface for quicker access and 
dissemination of PCII, (3) modifies requirements for the express and 
certification statements; (4) expands the use of categorical 
inclusions; (5) requires portion marking of PCII; and (6) implements 
specific methods to capture and deliver metadata to the PCII Program.
    This ANPRM also seeks comment on proposals to revise the overall 
approach for: (1) Automated submissions and an expansion of categorical 
inclusions, (2) marking PCII, (3) sharing PCII with foreign 
governments, (4) regulatory access, (5) safeguarding, (6) oversight and 
compliance, (7) alignment with other information protection programs, 
and (8) the administration of PCII at the State, local, tribal, and 
territorial level.
    The CII Act of 2002 requires that all voluntary submissions 
(physical and electronic) of CII, for which protection is requested, 
are submitted to DHS, directly or indirectly, include an ``express 
statement'' and a ``certification statement'' with each submission. The 
``express statement'' informs the PCII Program Office that the 
information in question is being voluntarily submitted

[[Page 23443]]

to the Federal government in expectation of protection from disclosure 
as provided by the provisions of the CII Act of 2002. The 
``certification statement'' includes the submitter's contact 
information and certifies that the information in question is not 
customarily in the public domain and is not being submitted in lieu of 
complying with a regulatory requirement. This ANPRM seeks comments on 
automating the submission process so that the transition to a preferred 
electronic environment captures the ``express statement'' and 
``certification statement'' in an efficient manner.
    Additionally, the ANPRM seeks comments on expanding submissions of 
CII through categorical inclusions and developing a consistent method 
for collecting the metadata on those categorical inclusions. 
``Categorical inclusions'' are a means of creating a class of 
presumptively valid information, thus expediting the process of 
acceptance as PCII. The PCII Program Manager has the discretion to 
declare certain subject matter or types of information categorically 
protected as PCII and to set procedures for the receipt and processing 
of that information. CII submitted within a categorical inclusion will 
be considered validated upon receipt by the PCII Program Office or any 
of the Designees without further review, provided the submitter 
includes an ``express statement'' and the PCII Program Manager has pre-
validated that type of information as PCII. The PCII Program Manager 
must appoint a Designee before an entity can establish a categorical 
inclusion. Currently, only Federal entities or systems or programs 
managed and overseen by a Federal employee can make use of the 
categorical inclusion.
    The regulations at 6 CFR part 29 also authorize DHS (or the PCII 
Program Manager) to establish procedures to ensure that any DHS 
component or other Federal, State, local, tribal, or territorial entity 
that works with PCII understands and implements the policy and 
procedural requirements necessary to appropriately receive, use, 
disseminate, and safeguard PCII in compliance with the requirements of 
the CII Act and the associated regulations. Since the publication of 
the PCII Final Rule, the program has met several significant milestones 
and receives ongoing nationwide participation from Federal, State, 
local, tribal, and territorial partners. To date, the PCII Program has 
received submissions from owners and operators across all 16 critical 
infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether 
physical or cyber, are considered so vital to the United States that 
their degradation, incapacitation or destruction would have a 
debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national 
public health or safety, or any combination thereof.
    As the PCII Program continues to expand throughout the nation, the 
PCII Program Office has to extend its efforts to perform effective 
oversight and compliance, accurate identification of PCII in a variety 
of materials, access and safeguarding of PCII, statistical reporting, 
and the tracking of PCII shared and disseminated within the critical 
infrastructure community.

II. Written Comments

A. In General

    This ANPRM provides an opportunity for DHS to hear and consider the 
views of owners and operators of critical infrastructure and other 
interested members of the public on their recommendations for PCII 
Program modifications and improvements.
    DHS invites interested persons to submit written comments, data, or 
views on how the current PCII Program regulations, codified at 6 CFR 
part 29, ``Procedures for Handling Critical Infrastructure 
Information,'' might be improved. Comments that would be most helpful 
to DHS include the questions and answers identified in Part III of this 
document. Please explain the reason for any comments with available 
data, and include other information or authority that supports such 
comments. DHS encourages interested parties to provide specific data 
that documents the potential costs of modifying the existing rule 
requirements pursuant to the commenter's suggestions; the potential 
quantifiable benefits including security and societal benefits of 
modifying the existing regulatory requirements; and the potential 
impacts on small entities of modifying the existing regulatory 
requirements.
    DHS requests that commenters discuss potential economic impacts, 
whenever possible, in terms of quantitative benefits and costs when 
providing feedback on this ANPRM. DHS also requests that commenters 
provide any special circumstances related to small entities or uniquely 
high costs that small entities may bear.
    DHS requests that commenters discuss economic impacts in as 
specific terms as possible. For example, if a policy change would 
necessitate additional employee training, then helpful information 
would include the following: the training courses necessary; the types 
of employees or contractors who would receive the training; topics 
covered; any retraining necessary; and the training costs if conducted 
by a third-party vendor or in-house trainer. DHS invites comment on the 
time and level of expertise required to implement commenter 
suggestions, even if dollar-cost estimates are not available.
    DHS requests that commenters discuss economic impacts concerning 
the transition of the PCII Program to a preferred electronic 
environment. In addressing the transition from the paper environment to 
the electronic environment, DHS encourages interested parties to 
provide specific data that documents the potential costs of 
transforming the PCII Program to an electronic environment. DHS is 
seeking information on potential quantifiable benefits including 
security and societal benefits of the transition and cost data on the 
potential impact of the transition and how a preferred electronic 
environment could impact the number of voluntary submittals. In 
particular, DHS is seeking comment on how many potential submitters 
would not have access to the internet and any costs relating to 
expenses associated with obtaining internet access for those entities 
without such access. This could include internet fees and any costs for 
applicable software and training that would be necessary to facilitate 
electronic submission of critical infrastructure information for 
protection as PCII or travel costs (time and mileage costs) needed to 
acquire a location with internet access. Commenters might also address 
how DHS can best obtain and consider accurate, objective information 
and data about the costs, burdens, and benefits of automating the PCII 
Program and whether there are lower cost alternatives that would allow 
DHS to achieve its goal of automating the PCII Program.
    Feedback that simply states a stakeholder feels strongly that DHS 
should modify the PCII Program, without including actionable data, 
including how the proposed change would impact the costs and benefits 
of the PCII Program, is much less useful to DHS. To help DHS organize 
and review all comments, please identify the relevant provision of 6 
CFR part 29 that relates to the specific comment provided (e.g., 6 CFR 
29.9 (d) Criminal and administrative penalties). Commenters may comment 
on topics related to the current 6 CFR part 29 not included in this 
ANPRM as well as those questions posed in this ANPRM.
    Written comments may be submitted electronically or by mail, as 
explained previously in the ADDRESSES section of

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this ANPRM. To avoid duplication, please use only one of these methods 
to submit written comments.
    Except as provided below, all comments received, as well as 
pertinent background documents, will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

B. Handling of Proprietary or Business Sensitive Information

    Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments in a manner 
that avoids discussion of trade secrets, confidential commercial or 
financial information, CII or PCII, or any other category of sensitive 
information that should not be disclosed to the general public. If it 
is not possible to avoid such discussion, however, please specifically 
identify any confidential or sensitive information contained in the 
comments with appropriate warning language (e.g., any PCII must be 
marked and handled in accordance with the requirements of 6 CFR 29.5 
through 29.7) and submit them by mail to the PCII Program Manager 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    DHS will not place any confidential or sensitive comments in the 
public docket; rather, DHS will handle them in accordance with 
applicable safeguards and restrictions on access. See, e.g., 6 CFR 29.5 
through 29.7. See also the DHS PCII Procedures Manual (``Protected 
Critical Infrastructure Information Program,'' April 2009, located on 
the DHS Web site at www.dhs.gov/protected-critical-infrastructure-information-pcii-program). DHS will hold any such comments in a 
separate file to which the public does not have access, and place a 
note in the public docket that DHS has received such materials from the 
commenter. DHS will provide appropriate access to such comments upon 
request to individuals who meet the applicable legal requirements for 
access to such information.

III. Questions for Commenters

    The transition from a paper-based PCII Program to a preferred 
electronic PCII Program must be addressed and managed on many different 
and complex levels: Administratively, financially, culturally, 
technologically, and institutionally. This ANPRM seeks comments on 
making the transition to a preferred electronic PCII Program that is 
practicable. This ANPRM's goal is to adopt solutions that streamline 
workflow performance rather than continuing existing processes that are 
becoming outdated.
    To help DHS identify ways, if any, to improve the manner in which 
it administers PCII, DHS seeks public comments on any and all aspects 
of 6 CFR part 29. This ANPRM seeks comments from all interested parties 
and subject matter experts and other private and public organizations 
associated within the Information Technology and cyber security fields. 
Areas that DHS is most interested in receiving comments on include, but 
are not limited to, the following:
    a. Automated Submissions. Currently, all submitters are required to 
include an ``express statement'' and a ``certification statement'' with 
each CII submission (physical and electronic). This ANPRM seeks 
comments on modifying this requirement to allow multiple associated CII 
submissions under one ``express statement'' and ``certification 
statement.'' Comments 1 through 3 concern the automated submissions of 
express and certification statements, comments 4 through 5 concern 
internal and external statistical reporting, and comments 6 through 9 
concern the expansion of categorical inclusions. Specifically, we are 
requesting:
    (1) Comments on how to enhance the submission methods for critical 
infrastructure information and automate sharing via structured 
information expression profiles and electronic exchange protocols such 
as the Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) and the Trusted 
Automated eXchange of Indicator Information (TAXII);
    (2) Comments on whether an updated PCII rule should permit multiple 
submissions of information under one express statement and 
certification statement enabling the submission of multiple documents 
by an organization over the course of several weeks or months, all 
relating to an identified incident, and whether such submission should 
be treated and tracked as one submission;
    (3) Comments on whether an updated PCII rule should allow 
submissions in a purely electronic format that includes an electronic 
express statement and certification statement in order to simplify the 
submission of large data sets in particular, such as electronic 
submissions with a large volume of data potentially indicating a 
compromise of a critical information system;
    (4) Currently, the PCII Program does not have an automated process 
for collecting statistical information on each submission. For this 
reason, this ANPRM seeks comments outlining whether and to what extent 
an automated submission process should incorporate auditing and 
statistical reporting requirements to increase transparency of the 
frequency and types of data being submitted to the program;
    (5) Currently, the PCII Program does not facilitate the submitter's 
ability to request and receive audits or access data relating to the 
submission. This ANPRM seeks comments addressing any process amendments 
or program enhancements to effectively implement automated submission 
processing in order to facilitate the submitter's ability to request 
and receive timely audits of access to the submissions and to withdraw 
the data submitted to the program via an automated process;
    (6) Comments about what effect, if any, an updated PCII Program 
would have on enabling broader sharing and analysis among other trusted 
recipients of cyber threat and risk data, including potential concerns 
related to protecting sources and methods;
    (7) Comments on the extent to which specific programmatic-
submission use cases that define data collection needs should be 
developed and established as categorical inclusions in specific data 
exchange activities in order to increase the submitters' community use 
and ease of submission in the PCII submission process, and to foster 
broader use of the PCII Program; and
    (8) Categorical inclusions enjoy a presumption of protection for 
CII relating to certain subject matters that the PCII Program Manager 
declares as PCII. Additionally, the PCII Program Manager sets 
procedures for receipt and processing of such information. This ANPRM 
seeks comments on the extent to which specific programmatic-submission 
use cases should be developed and established as categorical inclusions 
in order to normalize a range of permissible and impermissible uses for 
specific types of data shared as PCII; and
    (9) Currently, categorical inclusions exist in Federal governmental 
entities. This ANPRM seeks comments on expanding categorical inclusions 
to the State governmental level to increase the range of submissions, 
enhance the efficiency of information sharing, and make the protection 
of critical infrastructure information more effective.
    b. Marking/Portion Marking--The purpose of the portion marking 
process is to identify what information within a submission of critical 
infrastructure information should be protected. Presently, submitters 
are not required to portion mark the submitted information. The PCII 
Program Office does not currently mark portions of submitted 
information as PCII or non-PCII within the steps of the validation 
process. If the

[[Page 23445]]

submitted information is validated as PCII, the entire submission is 
given protection as PCII. Additionally, metadata practices are not 
streamlined so that it is received in a uniform process. This ANPRM 
seeks comments regarding the marking of PCII as it relates to the 
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) framework, to include 
comments on portion marking of original PCII, and the marking of PCII 
metadata.
    c. Sharing PCII with Foreign Governments--To date the PCII Program 
does not share PCII with foreign governments, however it is possible to 
do so through sharing agreements. This ANPRM seeks comments regarding 
the sharing of PCII with trusted international partners identified 
through sharing agreements to support the critical infrastructure 
protection and resilience efforts of the United States and partner 
governments.
    d. Regulatory Purposes--Comments on whether the current information 
in 6 CFR part 29 is sufficient to describe the restriction on 
regulatory access to PCII. See sections 29.2(k) and 29.3 of 6 CFR part 
29.
    e. Safeguarding--Comments on all aspects of PCII safeguarding, 
including comments on storage, violations of unauthorized disclosure, 
dissemination, tracking and use of PCII, and destruction of same.
    f. Oversight and Compliance--Currently, oversight and compliance 
within the PCII Program ensures that all critical infrastructure 
activities are in accordance with the CII Act of 2002 and 6 CFR part 
29. This ANPRM seeks comments relating to broadening the oversight and 
compliance of the PCII Program to enhance assessment and measure the 
effectiveness of compliance with PCII Program policies, procedures and 
practices.
    g. Alignment with other information protection programs--Comments 
regarding how DHS may be able to better align the PCII Program with 
other existing information protection and sharing programs, such as the 
Transportation Security Administration's Sensitive Security Information 
program, the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical-Terrorism 
Vulnerability Information program, and the National Archives and 
Records Administration Controlled Unclassified Information Program, 
including comments on any duplication or overlap that may exist between 
the PCII Program and another information protection programs. When 
providing comments on this topic, DHS encourages commenters to provide 
the specific citations to any information protection programs that may 
duplicate or overlap with the PCII requirements as well as a specific 
description of the duplicative or overlapping requirement.
    h. Administration of PCII Program in States--Comments on 
streamlining the administration of the PCII Program within State, 
local, tribal, and territorial entities by including State, local, 
tribal, and territorial Homeland Security Advisors in the management of 
the PCII Program so that states are accredited in their entirety and 
aligned with the requirements of the PCII Program.
    In each of the above cases, DHS also requests that the commenter 
provide, in as much detail as possible, an explanation why the 
procedures should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or removed, as 
well as specific suggestions of the ways DHS can better achieve its 
protective objectives for sharing information about the nation's 
critical infrastructure.
    In addressing these topics, DHS encourages interested parties to 
provide specific data that documents the potential costs of modifying 
the existing regulatory requirements pursuant to the commenter's 
suggestions; the potential quantifiable benefits including security and 
societal benefits of modifying the existing procedures; and the 
potential impacts on small businesses of modifying the existing 
regulatory requirements. Commenters might also address how DHS can best 
obtain and consider accurate, objective information and data about the 
costs, burdens, and benefits of the PCII Program and whether there are 
lower cost alternatives that would allow DHS to continue to achieve its 
goal of protecting sensitive security information on the nation's 
critical infrastructure consistent with the CII Act of 2002.

Jeh Charles Johnson,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-09186 Filed 4-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P