PCII is [information and communications] protected from disclosure. All critical infrastructure information that has been properly submitted and validated pursuant to the Critical Infrastructure Information Act and implementing directive; all information submitted to the PCII Program Office or designee with an express statement is presumed to be PCII until the PCII Program Office determines otherwise. Critical infrastructure information voluntarily shared with the government and validated as PCII by the Department of Homeland Security is protected from, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), State, local, tribal, and territorial disclosure laws, use in regulatory actions and use in civil litigation. PCII can only be accessed in accordance with strict safeguarding and handling requirements, and only trained and certified federal, state, and local government employees or contractors may access PCII.(Source: CII Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. § 131, and www.dhs.gov/pcii-program)
What does PCII mean?
The term Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) refers to critical-infrastructure information voluntarily shared with the U.S. government and validated for protection under the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information program. It gives election, security, legal, or technical readers a specific label for the concept rather than a broader everyday meaning.
How is protected critical infrastructure information (PCII) used in infrastructure security?
The term Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) is used according to its defined context: critical-infrastructure information voluntarily shared with the U.S. government and validated for protection under the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information program. The surrounding election procedure, policy, system specification, or legal source determines who applies it, when it is used, and what operational effect it has.
Why does protected critical infrastructure information (PCII) matter for election resilience?
Understanding Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) matters because the concept can affect election administration, voter participation, legal decisions, or resilience. In this context, it refers to critical-infrastructure information voluntarily shared with the U.S. government and validated for protection under the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information program.
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PCII is [information and communications] protected from disclosure. All critical infrastructure information that has been properly submitted and validated pursuant to the Critical Infrastructure Information Act and implementing directive; all information submitted to the PCII Program Office or designee with an express statement is presumed to be PCII until the PCII Program Office determines otherwise. Critical infrastructure information voluntarily shared with the government and validated as PCII by the Department of Homeland Security is protected from, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), State, local, tribal, and territorial disclosure laws, use in regulatory actions and use in civil litigation. PCII can only be accessed in accordance with strict safeguarding and handling requirements, and only trained and certified federal, state, and local government employees or contractors may access PCII.(Source: CII Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. § 131, and www.dhs.gov/pcii-program)
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (pcii). In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 20, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/protected-critical-infrastructure-information-pcii
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