DHS · DHS-4 · record R1965

Automated Detection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Cybersecurity Data

Department of Homeland Security · CISA

Overview

Development stage: DeployedSource: c) Deployed – The use case is being actively authorized or utilized to support the functions or mission of an agency.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: 2020-12-01 (day precision)Source: 2020-12-01T00:00:00
Withheld from public reporting: Not reported

Mission

Topic area: Administrative Functions
Operational functions: Cyber threat detection Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

To enhance privacy, this AI tool uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to automatically flag potential PII for review and removal by CISA analysts.

Expected benefits

Automated PII Detection and Review Process uses analytics to identify and manage potential PII in submissions. If PII is flagged, the submission is sent to CISA analysts, who are guided by AI to review and confirm or reject the detection, redacting information if necessary. Privacy experts monitor the system and provide feedback. The system learns from this feedback, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and improving efficiency by reducing false positives. Regular audits ensure the process remains trustworthy and effective.

System outputs

The system sends flagged data rows with potential PII to humans for review.

Technology

AI classification: Natural language processingSource: Natural Language Processing: AI that processes, interprets, and shares information in human language.
System name(s): Trusted Automated eXchange of Indicator Information server
Custom-developed code: Yes
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Contract and in-houseSource: c) Developed with both contracting and in-house resources
Vendor (as reported): Nightwing Intelligence Solutions, LLC. Procurement Instrument ID affiliated with this use case: 70QS0124C00000002
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: Yes
Privacy Impact Assessment: www.dhs.gov ↗
Authorization to Operate: Yes
Demographic features: Not reported
Training and evaluation data: Cybersecurity indicators of compromise (IOCs), Cybersecurity threat intelligence (CTI)
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewNo answer reported

Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported

Operator trainingNo answer reported

Fail-safeNo answer reported

Appeal processNo answer reported

User and public consultationNo answer reported

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported