Information Security & Privacy

Information security and privacy are essential topics in higher education today. Although these topics can be categorized broadly under “cybersecurity,” this term can be daunting and ineffectively descriptive to nontechnical people. With this in mind, we have chosen to prioritize the terminology that is the most relevant and descriptive to the wide and varied audiences of higher education.

Ultimately, all staff and faculty play a role in promoting information security and privacy. The results from work and education in this area are of great importance to past, present, and future students, staff, and faculty. These topics play a significant role in institutional policy, technical practices, and workplace culture. Important considerations when promoting the importance of information security and privacy include but are not limited to the following:

• Education and training for all personnel about how to handle data securely, such as trainings on malware, ransomware, phishing, and other common threats in higher education,
• Privacy policies to inform how and when data can be collected, how it is processed, and when it is destroyed,
• Considering these issues when selecting third-party providers based on their security and privacy practices,
• Disaster preparedness plans to explain how institutions should respond to emergencies related to information security, who should be involved, and what workflows should be utilized.