Overview of Laws Governing the Potential Tracking of Students across DoD-Funded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Outreach Programs
Abstract
Subsection (c) of Section 1726 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA FY2021) directs the Secretary of Defense to submit to the Congressional defense committees a report on how Department of Defense (DoD) programs to train K-12 and postsecondary students in fields related to cybersecurity, cyber defense, and cyber operations can be better aligned and harmonized. One requirement of the report is to provide recommendations for mechanisms to track student participation and transition of student participation from one such program to another. During Department-wide discussions regarding this requirement, a principle DoD stakeholder organization raised concerns about the legality of tracking students who are minors. After an analysis of pertinent laws and a discussion with a senior privacy official from the DoDs Defense Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency Division (DPCLTD), the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) team assessed that it is permissible to use the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of minors for the tracking purposes described in Section 1726, as long as DoD organizations comply with the Federal laws and DoD policies delineated in this document.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1199604
Entities
People
- Michael S. Nash
- Ransee P. Wimalasena
- Stephen M. Olechnowicz
- W. T. Strickland
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses