What are best practices for handling Sailor PII in Navy personnel records?

• A. Share with all personnel
• B. Limit access to authorized personnel, secure storage, and compliant disposal; use encryption and audit trails
• C. Store in unlocked files
• D. Delete after two years

Answer: (B)

Protecting Sailor PII hinges on restricting who can see it, keeping it secure both physically and digitally, and disposing of it properly when it’s no longer needed. Limiting access to authorized personnel ensures information is shared only on a need-to-know basis, reducing exposure from unnecessary staff. Secure storage means using locked physical containers or credential-protected digital repositories, with encryption applied to data at rest and, when possible, in transit. Encryption adds a strong layer of protection so that even if data is accessed, it remains unreadable without the proper keys. Audit trails are essential because they provide a record of who accessed or handled the records and when, helping detect unauthorized activity and support accountability. Disposal must be compliant with policy and standards so records are destroyed securely and cannot be recovered later.

These practices protect privacy, maintain data integrity, and meet regulatory and organizational requirements. Sharing with all personnel, storing in unlocked files, or deleting after a fixed period without regard to retention policies would increase risk, compromise confidentiality, and fail to meet proper data-management standards.