Introduction
The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy sets the standard for protecting sensitive law enforcement and public safety data. Archiving systems handling Criminal Justice Information (CJI) must comply with CJIS requirements, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of records. This blog explores CJIS Security Policy essentials and how to map its controls effectively to archiving environments.
Why CJIS Compliance Matters
- Legal Obligation: Agencies and vendors must comply with CJIS to handle CJI lawfully.
- Public Trust: Ensures sensitive data such as arrest records, biometrics, and case files are safeguarded.
- Audit Readiness: Regular audits validate compliance with CJIS controls.
- Inter-Agency Collaboration: Compliance ensures secure data sharing between jurisdictions.
Key CJIS Security Policy Areas and Archive Mapping
1. Access Control
- Apply role-based access controls (RBAC) for law enforcement, prosecutors, and records staff.
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for remote and privileged users.
- Enforce least privilege principles in archive access.
2. Encryption
- Encrypt CJI in transit and at rest using FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 validated algorithms.
- Support Key Management Systems (KMS) or BYOK for secure key custody.
3. Audit and Accountability
- Maintain immutable audit logs of archive access, searches, exports, and deletions.
- Retain audit logs per CJIS retention requirements.
- Integrate with SIEM systems for monitoring suspicious activities.
4. Incident Response
- Develop incident response procedures aligned with CJIS breach notification rules.
- Preserve evidence integrity with chain of custody documentation.
- Train staff on security incident handling involving archives.
5. Media Protection
- Secure portable media and removable drives containing CJI.
- Restrict or disable exports unless explicitly approved and logged.
- Use WORM or immutable storage for sensitive archival data.
6. Physical Security
- Protect on-premise archives with controlled facility access.
- Ensure cloud archives meet CJIS-compliant data center standards.
7. Personnel Security
- Conduct background checks for personnel with archive access.
- Enforce termination procedures to remove archive access promptly.
8. System and Communications Protection
- Segment CJIS archives from general IT networks.
- Use secure VPNs and encryption tunnels for data exchange.
- Validate secure inter-agency data transfers.
Best Practices
- Map Controls Early: Integrate CJIS requirements during archive design, not retroactively.
- Automate Compliance: Use policy-driven workflows to enforce access, encryption, and retention rules.
- Regular Audits: Test compliance readiness with mock audits.
- Train Continuously: Educate IT, records, and law enforcement staff on CJIS archiving policies.
- Vendor Validation: Ensure third-party archiving solutions provide CJIS compliance attestations.
Conclusion
CJIS compliance is non-negotiable for archives handling criminal justice data. By mapping access control, encryption, auditability, and incident response controls to archiving environments, organizations can meet legal obligations while safeguarding sensitive records. Effective implementation strengthens compliance, public trust, and operational resilience.