In response to recent data security breaches in government and commercial organizations, OCTO is formally issuing the District’s data protection policies to all deputy mayors and agency directors. These policies are designed to prevent data security breaches in the District government.

Employees can view the policies on OCTO's Intranet website. These policies will guide and assist agency directors in managing their responsibility to “all employees and contractors of the District of Columbia government…for protecting information assets. Agency directors must ensure that the appropriate personnel within their organizations classify the sensitivity of the information within their purview; identify, define, and grant access to information assets; and adequately protect the information within their assigned area of management control,” OCTO Information Security Program Policy OCTO0003 (August 1, 2001).

OCTO will conduct an Information Security Summit for all agency directors and chief information officers (CIO) to brief them on these policies, and on the Citywide IT Security (CWITS) functions OCTO has established to support enforcement of District IT security policies.

Details about the summit will be forthcoming. Agency directors and CIOs can contact OCTO's chief information security officer at (202) 442-9850 regarding questions about information security policies.