Contractors face new mandate for privacy training

Contractors with access to government records might soon have to train their employees on how to properly handle sensitive personal information.

The Department of Defense, General Services Administration and NASA are seeking to safeguard personal data information like Social Security, tax ID and passport numbers in federal records without having to use agency resources to train contracted employees.

{mosads}A final rule issued Wednesday gives agencies the flexibility to either offer training in privacy protection to contract employees or require that contractors do so themselves.

Under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, contractors will be required to keep records of employees who complete training, files which the government can request at any time.

Though agencies can give contractors a training package, the amendment to the regulation will allow contractors to create their own privacy training program. Without proper proof of training, contracted employees will not be given access to federal records.

The rule applies to contractors who handle, design, develop, maintain or operate a records system for the federal government.