Which practice supports privacy compliance under agency policy?

Which practice supports privacy compliance under agency policy?

• A. Share only with authorized personnel and document appropriately.
• B. Share records with non-authorized individuals.
• C. Discuss sensitive information in loud public spaces.
• D. Leave records unsecured on desk.

Answer: (A)

Protecting privacy means restricting access to information to those who truly need to know and keeping a proper record of disclosures. Sharing only with authorized personnel and documenting appropriately embodies this approach. When individuals have a legitimate need for the information, giving access ensures they can do their work without unnecessary exposure, while documentation creates an audit trail that shows who accessed what and when. This supports accountability, incident response, and compliance with agency policies and privacy laws. Disclosing information to non-authorized individuals breaks the need-to-know principle and increases the risk of leaks. Discussing sensitive material in loud public spaces invites casual overhearing and breaches confidentiality. Leaving records unsecured on a desk invites physical theft or discovery by unauthorized people. Each of these practices undermines privacy protections and violates agency policy.

Protecting privacy means restricting access to information to those who truly need to know and keeping a proper record of disclosures. Sharing only with authorized personnel and documenting appropriately embodies this approach. When individuals have a legitimate need for the information, giving access ensures they can do their work without unnecessary exposure, while documentation creates an audit trail that shows who accessed what and when. This supports accountability, incident response, and compliance with agency policies and privacy laws.

Disclosing information to non-authorized individuals breaks the need-to-know principle and increases the risk of leaks. Discussing sensitive material in loud public spaces invites casual overhearing and breaches confidentiality. Leaving records unsecured on a desk invites physical theft or discovery by unauthorized people. Each of these practices undermines privacy protections and violates agency policy.