Data security practices are not just required by University Policies, but by State and Federal privacy and security laws, including the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA) and the Family Educational Privacy Rights Act (FERPA).\u00a0 University policies and procedures help us understand how to comply with the law in our BU community, including the GLBA Safeguarding Information Program<\/a>.\u00a0 GLBA compliance is especially important for employees who work with student financial aid, as the University has committed to safeguarding this data in connection with its receipt of federal financial aid.\u00a0 Other Policies and Procedures can be found on our BU Policies webpage<\/a>, under the Information Management category<\/a>.<\/p>\n The first step to making sure you are properly handing University data is to know how the data is classified.\u00a0 At BU, data is classified into four categories: public, internal, confidential, and restricted use.\u00a0 Each category has its own set of criteria for how data can be used, stored, and shared.\u00a0 The University\u2019s Data Classification Policy<\/a> will help you easily identify the categories of University data in your possession.\u00a0 Once you know the data\u2019s classification, you will know how you are expected to secure it.<\/p>\n Never share your passwords! Your account passwords should be known by you, and you alone.\u00a0 Service providers will never <\/em>ask you for your password, so you should not provide it even when a request seems authentic.\u00a0 If you need to reset a password, make sure that the site you are on is legitimate.\u00a0 If you are unsure if a website is legitimate or not, you can always ask ithelp@bu.edu<\/a> for help.<\/p>\n When you are sending email with Restricted Use information, which is defined within our Data Classification Policy<\/a>, you should use a secure method to transmit the data.\u00a0 Options at BU include encrypting your document and calling the receiver to share the encryption password with them verbally, or using DataMotion, a service available to the BU community.\u00a0 More information about how to use DataMotion SecureMail to send emails can be found on the BU TechWeb page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Phishing messages are emails that look as if they are from a legitimate source in an attempt to get you to click on corrupted links or share personal information, such as credit card numbers or passwords.\u00a0 They are a major security concern and the most common cause of data breaches.\u00a0 Fraudulent links are the most common scammer technique because it is easy to disguise a link look as if it is to a legitimate, trusted source, when in reality it leads to a malicious site.\u00a0 To find out if the link is misleading, you can hover (but don\u2019t click) your mouse over the link to see the actual address.\u00a0 If the hover technique shoes you that the address is different than the link presents, it is a scam.\u00a0 On a smartphone, click and hold the link and the address will appear.\u00a0 Also, instead of clicking on an email link, you can just manually type the address into your browser.\u00a0 Note that savvy phishing emails can even look like they are from BU\u2019s IS&T department.\u00a0 Learn more ways to spot a phishing email, and tips to prevent falling prey to fraudulent links on a BU TechWeb page<\/a> titled How to Fight Phishing<\/a>.<\/p>\n We recommend encryption for all devices storing University data, including laptops, desktops, personal computers and devices like cell phones and tablets. Encryption is required if you are working with restricted use data, and recommended for all other data categories.\u00a0 IS&T is happy encrypt workstations that they manage directly, and will provide advice on encrypting devices they don\u2019t.\u00a0 It is possible that your device may already be encrypted, but if you are not certain, please contact IS&T.\u00a0 More information on encryption can be found on a BU TechWeb page<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to make sure that all of your computers and devices that house University data are secure, including mobile phones, tablets, and even thumb drives or other external storage devices. To keep your devices and hardware secure, always make sure your software is up to date, that strong and unique passwords are enabled, and your data is backed up to a secondary source.\u00a0 For more detailed information on device security, please visit the Securing Your Devices TechWeb page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sensitive information should never be kept on publicly accessible desktops and other physical areas, like counters, tops of filing cabinets, tables, printers, copiers, and fax machines.\u00a0 Offices with any personal information should be locked at night.\u00a0 When records with personal information have met their retention and are ready to be disposed of, they should be disposed of in a secure way, such as secure shredding, burning, and pulverization.\u00a0 See the Record Retention Policy<\/a> for more information on record retention and destruction.<\/p>\nKnow your data<\/span><\/h1>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nProtect your passwords<\/h1>\n
Send email securely<\/h1>\n
Be cautious of links or requests for information in emails<\/h1>\n
Encrypt your computer<\/h1>\n
Secure all your devices and hardware<\/h1>\n
Keeping Data Secure in the Workplace<\/h1>\n
When in doubt, ask for help<\/h1>\n