SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
PRIVACY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
· Name of project.
Replacement Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099/1042S) Automated Telephone Application
· Unique project identifier.
Project #2093NINT
· Privacy Impact Assessment Contact.
Center Director
Field Network and Planning
Office of Telephone Services
Social Security Administration
· Describe the information to be collected, why the information is being collected, the intended use of the information and with whom the information will be shared.
Replacement Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099/1042S) Automated Telephone Application
This automated telephone system application will allow Social Security Title II, as well as concurrent Title II/XVI beneficiaries to request a replacement Social Security Benefit Statement (SSBS) with the automated telephone portion of SSA’s National 800 Number using interactive voice recognition or the touchtone feature.
Collection of Information
We will use knowledge-based authentication to verify the identity of a user who requests an SSBS via this automated telephone system application. Specifically, we will require that the user input his/her name, Social Security number, and date of birth and then we will match this information with information in our Privacy Act system of records entitled Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications. If we authenticate the user’s identity, the authenticated identity information will then be associated with the appropriate SSA records to produce the replacement SSBS. The telephone application will not maintain any of the data elements input by the user. Furthermore, we will only mail the replacement SSBS telephone application to the address on file. The telephone application does not permit the SSBS to be mailed elsewhere.
· Describe the administrative and technological controls that are in place or that are planned to secure the information being collected.
Reducing Potential Risks to Individuals’ Privacy and Protecting Information Being Collected
In order to mitigate risks, the replacement SSBS automated telephone system application will be sent to the address that Social Security has on record. We will perform a systems check to determine if users changed their address within the last 30 days of an attempt to request a replacement SSBS. If the users have such an address change, they will be routed to a telephone agent. Users calling on behalf of a deceased beneficiary must be the surviving spouse, parent or child on the same record to request the replacement SSBS. In addition, if the proper relationship to the deceased cannot be verified, or if someone other than a survivor requests an SSBS for a deceased person using the telephone application, the system will advise the users to submit their request, in writing, to the field office.
Administrative and Technological Controls that are in Place
The automated telephone system that houses the SSBS application has undergone authentication and security risk analyses. The latter includes an evaluation of security and audit controls proven to be effective in protecting the information collected, stored, processed, and transmitted by our information systems. These include technical, management, and operational controls that permit access to our information only to users with an official “need to know,” and the minimum amount of access that allows users to perform their job functions. Audit mechanisms are in place to record sensitive transactions as an additional measure to protect information from unauthorized disclosure or modification.
We protect the information in an SSBS by requiring employees authorized to access the information system that produces the SSBS to use a unique Personal Identification Number. In addition, we stored the computerized records in secure areas that are accessible only to employees who require the information to perform their official duties. Furthermore, all our employees who have access to our information systems that maintain personal information must sign a sanction document annually that acknowledges penalties for unauthorized access to, or disclosure of, such information.
· Describe the impact on individuals’ privacy rights.
Are individuals afforded an opportunity to decline to provide information?
We collect information only where we have specific legal authority to do so to administer our responsibilities under the Social Security Act. When we collect telephone information from users, we advise them of our legal authority for requesting the information, the purposes for which we will use and disclose the information, and the consequences on him/her of not providing any or all of the requested information. The users can then make an informed decision whether or not to provide the information.
Use of the replacement SSBS automated telephone system application is voluntary. Users who choose to use this service must provide all the requested data elements necessary to authenticate their identity in order to request a replacement SSBS. If a user does not want the 800 number SSBS telephone application to be available to make a request for a replacement statement, he/she may ask us not to allow the use of their SSN for any of our online or automated telephone services.
· Are individuals afforded an opportunity to consent to only particular uses of the information?
When we collect information from users, we advise them of the purposes for which we will use the information. We further advise them that we will disclose this information without their prior written consent only when we have specific authority in Federal statute (e.g., the Privacy Act) to do so.
The identity information that we will request from users of the replacement SSBS telephone application will be verified against corresponding information already maintained in our records that was collected at the time the user filed for an SSN and/or benefits. We will not use the information provided by the users of this telephone application for any other purpose, or retain any of the information once the call is terminated.
· Does the collection of this information require a new system of records under the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) or an alteration to an existing system of records?
The telephone application does not require a new Privacy Act system of records or an alteration to an existing system of records because there is no new and permanent collection of identifiable data in this application process. The authentication information that the user will provide in the replacement SSBS telephone application will not be retained by us.
PIA CONDUCTED BY PRIVACY OFFICER, SSA:
______________________________ July 10, 2007
SIGNATURE DATE
PIA REVIEWED BY SENIOR AGENCY PRIVACY OFFICIAL, SSA:
_/S/ Thomas W. Crawley _____ July 20, 2007___
SIGNATURE DATE