What does SORN stand for, and what does the Privacy Act require?

• A. System of Records Notice; federal agencies must publish a notice in the Federal Register for each system of records, and a system of records contains information retrieved by an individual's name or unique identifier.
• B. System of Record Notification; agencies must post alerts online.
• C. System systematic Ordering of Records Network; requires encryption of all records.
• D. System of Records Nomination; requires agencies to review all records annually.

Answer: (A)

SORN stands for System of Records Notice. The Privacy Act requires federal agencies to publish a System of Records Notice in the Federal Register for each system of records. A system of records is a collection of information about individuals that is retrieved by the individual's name or another unique identifier. The SORN itself explains why the system exists, what kinds of records are kept, who is covered, the authority for collecting the data, the routine uses of the records, the safeguards in place, and how long the records are kept. It also informs individuals how they can access and request corrections to their records. The other options use terms or requirements that aren’t part of the Privacy Act’s framework.