If you’re a law enforcement agency dealing with sensitive information on a daily basis, you need to ensure you comply with CJIS. Also known as the Criminal Justice Information Services Division, CJIS is part of the FBI. This high-tech department is required to support national security and law enforcement agencies with up-to-date tools and services. This includes ensuring any agency dealing with sensitive information complies with the highest standards of data security and encryption, and keeps them operating on the right side of the law.
CJIS is constantly developing security standards by keeping up with evolving technological developments. This kind of support is essential if we want to keep the world safe from serious security breaches. What else does a law enforcement agency need to know about complying with CJIS standards? Read on to learn three more facts about this top security information services division.
1. CJIS Policies to Align Your Security Standards
All law enforcement agencies dealing with sensitive data need to align their security with the policies outlined by CJIS. There are 13 policies in total. Not every policy may apply to all organizations, but it’s essential to familiarize yourself with each one. Make sure your agency aligns with CJIS compliance by keeping up to date with the policies.
2. What Needs to Be Done Before Gaining CJIS Access?
Naturally, being the center holding sensitive data, access to CJIS is strictly controlled. You’ll need to undergo a background check to ascertain you’re not a criminal yourself. What’s more, foreign nationals may not gain access to CJIS. The reason for this is background checks can’t be carried out on foreign nationals.
3. CJIS Compliance Requirements
Cyber security is constantly being threatened by hackers. This is why CJIS compliance is vital to protect data encryption, wireless networking and other internet connected aspects of society. For example, if you’re a cloud provider supporting a law enforcement agency, you need to meet the following CJIS requirements:
- Limitation on unsuccessful login attempts
- Session lockout after 30 minutes of no activity
- Providing audit reviews on a weekly basis
- Tracking login activity including changes to passwords
- Restrictions on access based on time of the day and location, type of job role and network address.
Final Thoughts
The responsibility of being CJIS compliant lies solely in your hands. It’s a massive responsibility not to be taken lightly. You’re dealing with extremely sensitive data such as fingerprints, background checks, DNA evidence and more. Should this data land in the wrong hands you could face serious repercussions, not only for your agency but for the victims of such a security breach.
It’s important to note there is no CJIS authorization board, which means there is no CJIS certification. If a provider claims they have such certification they’re making false statements. Avoid finding yourself on the wrong side of the law. Make sure your agency and its providers are compliant with CJIS.
