I’m trying to talk to each member of the staff about computer security. It would help tremendously if you would provide me (mreed@chemistry.ohio-state.edu) with the following at your earliest convenience:
– number/type of computers you use and operating system of each
– if you routinely need to work with (and store) grades or social security
numbers
You could simply reply to this email with something like:
2 Windows Desktop PCs (my work PC and a student PC)
1 Linux Laptop (controls an instrument)
I do not use grades or social security number on these computers.(but whatever information is appropriate for you)
We’re required to report on security to OIT monthly. Included in this report is a count of machines that have “restricted data” stored on them. (The most common restricted data are grades or social security numbers, but credit card #s are an issue too.) We have a fairly good idea about the number and makeup of computers used in the department. I’m just trying to get a handle on computers that are already secure for reporting. The purpose of all of this goes back to incidents where social security numbers we lost and it ends up costing ALOT of money to notify and provide services to those affected.
When discussing this with faculty and staff I have found that most people do not have restricted data on their computers and it is very helpful for Computer support to simply account for the machine and be done with it.
If it turns out that you do have SSNs, grades, credit card #s or some other data on your machine- no need to panic. Support can help remove it or aid you in encrypting your machine. This is most critical with mobile devices (laptops, USB drives), but in some cases it might be a good idea to handle desktops too. Computer Support is here to help and we ideally want to offer sensible solutions that don’t create a lot of extra work for you.
Thanks for the help.