Information Technology Security Policy

Version 1.1

Purpose

It is University policy to reasonably and appropriately protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the University’s IT Resources commensurate with their risk and value while at the same time maintain accessibility.

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

• The University must integrate information security principles into all aspects of the University's activities.
• The University must ensure that reasonable security policies, standards, controls, processes, practices, and procedures are established and maintained to safeguard IT Resources.
• The University must follow a risk-based approach to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the assets as business needs and the IT Resources change.
• The University must operate IT security activities effectively, responsibly, and ethically, complying with all federal, state, local laws, and regulations.
• With oversight from the Board of Trustees, the University-wide Information Risk Management Board (IRMB), and in alignment with the University's strategic plan, the Associate Vice President for IT, Chief Information Security Officer (AVP/CISO) must be responsible for the approval of and ensuring ongoing compliance with, this policy.
• The Information Security and Assurance (ISA) is responsible for ensuring the IT Resources are secure from unauthorized access (to maintain appropriate confidentiality) and unauthorized alterations (to maintain integrity), and available to authorized users (to maintain availability), to enable the University to meet its mission in an effective and timely manner.
• The ISA is responsible for establishing and maintaining an information security program aligned to University IT risk that includes developing, deploying, and maintaining reasonable security policies, processes, practices, procedures, guidelines, and technologies to protect IT Resources.
• The ISA ensures that the information security program includes training to support this policy.
• The ISA must coordinate with the Incident Response Team (IRT) in response to information security incidents, violations, or crimes arising from or relating to the use of IT Resources.
• The Department of Public Safety is responsible for working with the ISA, in conducting investigations, preparing reports for the appropriate authorities, and providing support to authorities conducting their investigations.
• The University's Vice Presidents and Deans are responsible for championing this policy's information security practices in their respective departments and schools by supporting any substantive revisions as recommended by the AVP/CISO.
• Users are responsible for safeguarding IT Resources, which Users use, access, and interact with, even if Users do not have the responsibility of managing them.
• The OLC provides legal guidance to this policy.

Definitions

IT Resources include computing, networking, communications, application, and 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

Acceptable Uses of IT Infrastructure and Resources

Implementation Information

 Revision History