Spirion™
Protect Sensitive Data
For Students, Faculty, Staff, Guests, Alumni
Spirion (formerly Identity Finder) is an indispensable program for Windows and Mac devices that identifies unprotected sensitive data on desktops, laptops, servers, and other media (but not mobile phones or tablets) issued by Fordham University.
The kind of data Spirion locates includes Fordham ID numbers, social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, driver's license numbers, passwords and pins, and other types of personally identifiable information.
Spirion makes it easy to secure or remove this data and take the appropriate steps in case of a data security incident.
For a list of all the services Fordham uses to protect sensitive data and for further explanation of the various types of sensitive data that Fordham actively monitors, please visit the Data Loss Protection web page.
Learn More about Spirion
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Spirion is installed remotely by Information Technology on University-owned computers used by faculty and staff.
Following installation, the program performs an assessment of all the files located on your computer every Friday evening. These assessments run in the background and will not impact your computer's performance.
View the Spirion User Guide for detailed software instructions. Questions? Contact the IT Service Desk.
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Spirion will only search files located on your computer. Any sensitive information found will be masked and not visible in plain text.
If you use email software that downloads and stores your emails on your computer, such as Outlook, Spirion will parse your emails. Spirion cannot search web-based mail programs for sensitive data.
No notifications or pop-up windows will appear during or after the assessment. We may use a pop-up window in the future to notify you of any policy changes.
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Following the assessment of data on your computer, Spirion sends a report directly to a secure server, highlighting the location(s) of the sensitive information. The results maybe reviewed in consultation with your senior management; all sensitive data is masked. This review is intended to protect data belonging to you and/or the University. Options will be made available allowing you to securely remove or redact this data on an as-needed basis.
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In the event of a computer security breach, Spirion is used to locate unprotected sensitive data that may have been copied or stolen. If you know what information has been taken, you can take the proper steps to comply with University policy, and state and federal legislation regarding the incident.
Security breaches can have serious consequences for you, your department or the University. Your department or the University may be held financially responsible for the cost of the breach, and your personal reputation, as well as your department and the University's, may be adversely affected.
If you discover an information security breach, please report it to the UISO via the Fordham University Security Integrity Hotline.