While researchers in government and private industry have always made efforts to maintain confidentiality of survey participants, accessibility of data through the Internet, increase in the retention of individual level data, and improvements in matching techniques have made the task increasingly difficult. In addition, protection of subjects’ privacy is no longer just an ethical and professional obligation; it is now often a legal obligation. The question of when data is at risk, or in violation of law, has becomes a very real issue. This paper goes through the basics of disclosure risk assessment and explores the context in which it occurs.