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Open Government Blog Post - NOAA

Submitted: Augut 6, 2021

Categories: NOAA's ability to swiftly identify and address data risks

Guest blog submitted by: Tony LaVoi, NOAA Chief Data Officer (CDO), NOAA Office of the Chief Informaton Officer

The year 2020 brought unprecedented and shocking changes to the work force that no federal agency could have predicted at the start of the year. Like all agencies across the country, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had to quickly and seamlessly shift to a remote work environment in order to keep employees safe, while continuing to support NOAA's mission during the COVID-19 public health crisis. While NOAA succeeded in providing employees the necessary resources to work safely from home, the new technologies and environment that followed created risks for NOAA and the agency's data. In order to mitigate these risks and to enhance the NOAA employee experience, NOAA issued two memorandums that provided NOAA employees guidance on how to safely execute remote work and training during the pandemic.

On April 6, 2020, NOAA issued guidance on storing Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) within NOAA's Google Drive ecosystem, allowing for significantly expanded records sharing and collaboration within the Google Ecosystem with the FedRamp certified application. Additionally, on February 24, 2021, NOAA issued guidance on recording video conferences to enhance remote workplace communications capabilities while complying with the Privacy Act. Offices within NOAA have leveraged this Google function to increase audience reach for major presentations and trainings, and to accommodate NOAA leadership and other staff who may not be able to attend events due to scheduling conflicts.

The issuance of these memos showcases NOAA's ability to swiftly identify and address data risks, and is an example of NOAA's commitment to protecting data while also prioritizing the health of our employees. Knowing the work environment will likely never return to what it once was, the NOAA Data Program and its Privacy Office will continue to be innovative while facing the ever-changing challenges and opportunities presented by remote work and data.

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