Protecting Respondent Information Handout

Protecting Respondent
Information
Industrial Price
Surveys
www.bls.gov

Responding to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics is secure. Your answers
are protected by law and are not
shared with anyone.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics is bound by
a strict criminal law and solemn commitment
to protect the confidential information we
collect. We have never had a breach of
our data collection systems, and all
transmitted data are protected by stateof-the-art encryption methods.



We take the utmost measures to protect the
identity of individuals and businesses,
starting from the point at which the data are
collected. All BLS data collection systems
are 100 percent encrypted. Keeping your
responses secure is our top priority. The
safeguarding of your information continues
long after we publish the aggregate statistics
to which they contribute.

Responding to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is important. Your answers ensure we
produce data that accurately measure the nation’s economic health.


For more than a century, businesses large and small have safely entrusted key information with BLS. In turn,
BLS delivers back the gold-standard data businesses need to make more informed decisions.



Without voluntary participation of businesses and households, BLS surveys will not accurately reflect economic
conditions. Every time a business or household responds to a BLS survey, it performs an essential public
service that benefits everyone.



Knowing that the data we produce depends so crucially on the support and trust of the American people, we
do not take lightly our responsibilities to protect respondent confidentiality and to produce statistics using
transparent methods that adhere to the highest professional standards.
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) (44 U.S.C. 3541) imposes a mandatory set of information
security processes and controls which must be followed by all information systems used or operated by a Federal
government agency or by a contractor or other organization on behalf of a Federal government agency. BLS
complies with all enacted Federal controls, as promulgated in guidance from the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST), to securely house and transfer information, and regularly audits and monitors those controls.