The Care and Feeding of Your PII

Volume 6, No. 3

Protecting personally identifiable information (PII) is a big challenge when that information is in digital format.  A few simple steps will take you a long way to securing PII used in your job. For instance:

  • Avoid keeping PII on a laptop by storing the file on a personal or workgroup network drive.
  • Always store your laptop in a secure place.
  • All CLU-owned laptops must have "auto-destroy" (Computrace) software installed for use in the case of a lost or stolen laptop.
  •  Laptops should never be left visible in a vehicle or at a hotel luggage stand; neither should it be packed in checked luggage, unless directed to do so by airport security.  

When you need to discard old computers and storage media, contact the ISS Department.  If you need to discard your personal, privately-owned computer or storage devices:

  • Wipe out the data with an approved software tool or remove and destroy the drive.
  • Shred, punch holes, or incinerate (don't do this at home due to potential toxic fumes!!) CD-roms, DVD-roms, floppy disks, or flash drives.

Some general reminders about protecting PII include:

  • Access to Datatel, Raiser's Edge, or other data does NOT authorize unrestricted access to the data.
  • Everyone needs to protect students' PII in print and digital format.
  •  Secure computers, files, and offices to protect personally identifiable information.  

*This Issue’s Techno Term
Term: Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Definition:  http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CIPA.html 
Example in a sentence:  In order to better protect our children, the CIPA was passed to help safeguard our country’s most valuable asset.
Source: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CIPA.html 

If you have questions or need assistance, please call the Help Desk at (805) 493-3698 or send e-mail to helpdesk@callutheran.edu   Additional information is available at the Computer Training Website; in addition, an archive of previous Tech Bytes issues is located at http://www.callutheran.edu/iss/training/tech_bytes/

 

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