General Information

Security

Information Security Office

The office of the Information Security Officer at Ithaca College provides administration and guidance to the Ithaca College community by protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of college information and computing resources.  The Information Security Office works closely with the network services staff and system administrators to ensure security to our networks, systems, and the data residing on them.

Please feel free to consult with us for guidance and direction about information security issues.

Best Practices

  • Turn off your computer when not in use
  • Reboot and update the computer regularly
  • Do not share usernames and password
  • Use complicated passwords that adhere to the password policy
  • Lock your computer if you leave the room and leave it on
  • Set the screensaver to come on after a period of inactivity

January was Data Privacy Month

During the month of January, EDUCAUSE expanded on Data Privacy Day to provide an entire month’s worth of activities and resources to help raise data privacy awareness. If you missed them check out the Webinar Archives.

Launch of Data Privacy Month for Higher Education (EDUCAUSE Live! webinar)
Webinar Archive
Speakers: Jolynn Dellinger (Program Manager, NCSA), Merri Beth Lavagnino (Chief Privacy Officer & Compliance Coordinator, Indiana University), and Nat Wood (Assistant Director for Consumer & Business Education Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC)
Moderator: Diana Oblinger, President and CEO, EDUCAUSE

For several years EDUCAUSE and the Higher Education Information Security Council have been promoting October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Beginning in 2012, we will begin a similar campaign that will recognize January as Data Privacy Month. As institutions of higher education seek to improve information security and protect personally identifiable information, there is a growing need to raise awareness of privacy issues among our students, faculty, and staff. Privacy topics range from institutional adoption of Fair Information Practices to individual behaviors that impact privacy in settings such as use of mobile devices, social media, or online commerce. This webinar will introduce the new privacy awareness campaign, highlight federal government efforts, and describe higher education programs and initiatives.

Privacy and Security Risks in Higher Education
Webinar Archive
Speaker: Daniel J. Solove, John Marshall Harlan Research Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School
Moderator: Tracy Mitrano, Director of IT Policy, Cornell University

Privacy is a major and often underappreciated risk area for institutions of higher education. Many data security breaches, for example, are not the result of high-tech hacking, but of low-tech blunders made by faculty and staff – lost USB drives or laptops, data improperly placed on unauthorized servers, etc. Beyond data security, schools face liability for breaches of confidentiality, failure to share personal information when necessary, failure to address cyberbullying and harassment, and improper surveillance. Professor Solove will provide advice for how institutions of higher education can reduce the risk of having a privacy fiasco by discussing a series of case studies involving topics such as confidentiality and people in distress; outsourcing; data security; and online social media.

We’re From the Government and We’re Here to Help You:  Privacy Issues and Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education
Webinar Archive
Speakers: Kathleen M. Styles, Chief Privacy Officer, U.S. Department of Education and Michael B. Hawes, Statistical Privacy Advisor, U.S. Department of Education
Moderator: Rodney Petersen, Senior Government Relations Officer & Managing Director of Washington Office, EDUCAUSE

The Department of Education administers the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and recently established a Chief Privacy Officer position to coordinate federal technical assistance on privacy and confidentiality to the education community. Kathleen will discuss ED’s privacy initiatives, both in schools and in connection with student longitudinal databases. The presentation will cover recently issued and forthcoming guidance documents and regulation changes. She and Michael Hawes will also discuss the difficult balance in releasing student data, about the need to both be transparent and protect privacy through disclosure avoidance.

lol…OMG!: What Everyone Needs to Know About Online Reputation Management
Webinar Archive
Speaker: Matt Ivester, founder of JuicyCampus and author of lol...OMG!
Moderator: Merri Beth Lavagnino, Chief Privacy Officer and Compliance Coordinator, Indiana University

The ease with which digital content can be shared online, in addition to its many benefits, has created a host of problems for today’s high school and college students. All too often, students are uploading, updating, posting and publishing without giving a second thought to who might see their content or how it might be perceived. Ivester will provide a cautionary look at the many ways that today’s students are experiencing the unanticipated negative consequences of their digital decisions – from lost job opportunities and denied college and graduate school admissions to full-blown national scandals. He will be using real-life case studies and offering actionable strategies and best practices that empower students to clean up and maintain a positive online presence.