Secure Data Handling Policy
Version 1.4
For Students, Faculty, Staff, Guests, Alumni
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the protection of the University’s IT Resources against unauthorized use, accidental or malicious damage, and theft.
Scope
This IT policy, and all policies referenced herein, shall apply to all members of the University community, including faculty, students, administrative officials, staff, alumni, authorized guests, delegates, and independent contractors (the “User(s)” or “you”) who use, access, or otherwise employ, locally or remotely, the University’s IT Resources, whether individually controlled, shared, stand-alone, or networked.
Policy Statement
- Fordham Protected data, Fordham Sensitive data, or Public data must be stored or transmitted per the Data Classification Guidelines, Data at Rest Policy, or the Data in Transit Policy.
- Protection1 measures must be taken and maintained to prevent unauthorized or unlawful disclosure of University data. Protection measures are based on data classification and include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Physical access control (e.g., controlled access to buildings, rooms, data centers, storage, and media disposal).
- Technical control (e.g., configurations, administrative access (e.g., restrict access based on role or authority).
1 Policy scenario example: Payment Card Industry (PCI) data viewed/maintained by University personnel (e.g., faculty, staff) needs to be secured physically (physical access control) by storing in locked cabinets. Access to IT Resources containing PCI data is password-protected (administrative access control). A separate sub-set of Fordham’s main network is used to store PCI data (technical access control).
Definitions
IT Resources include computing, networking, communications, application, telecommunications systems, infrastructure, hardware, software, data, databases, personnel, procedures, physical facilities, cloud-based vendors, Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors, and any related materials and services.
Related Policies and Procedures
- Data Classification and Protection Policy
- Data Classification Guidelines
- Data at Rest Policy
- Data in Transit Policy
- Third-Party Data Transfer Policy
Implementation Information
| Review Frequency: | Annual |
|---|---|
| Responsible Person: | Senior Director, IT Security Operations and Assurance |
| Approved By: | CISO |
| Approval Date: | May 16, 2017 |
Revision History
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 05/16/2017 | Initial document |
| 1.0.1 | 01/09/2019 | Updated policy statement |
| 1.2 | 07/13/2020 | Updated policy statement |
| 1.3 | 07/26/2021 | Updated links |
| 1.4 | 08/01/2022 | Updated policy statement |
Policy Disclaimer Statement
Deviations from policies, procedures, or guidelines published and approved by Information Security and Assurance (ISA) may only be done cooperatively between ISA and the requesting entity with sufficient time to allow for appropriate risk analysis, documentation, and possible presentation to authorized University representatives. Failure to adhere to ISA written policies may be met with University sanctions.