Privacy in Crises: The NIST Privacy Framework

Information systems are essential for crisis management; therefore, maintaining the security of those systems is important. Furthermore, during a crisis, privacy and personal integrity issues can sometimes be overlooked. Yet, both security and privacy are fundamental to the survival of a civilized and democratic society. If an information system's security plan also includes privacy considerations, then the resilience of the system can provide for the resilience of privacy. The problem is that privacy principles as they have traditionally been identified are not amenable to being incorporated into system design. This study discusses the NIST Privacy Framework, privacy engineering and its relevance to crisis planning and response.