Offices & Services

ITS: Security Questions

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• User IDs and Passwords

  Passwords should be known only to the person responsible for the account and user ID. Ways to ensure this include avoiding storing passwords or any other information that could be used to gain access to other computing resources on your workstation, never sharing passwords, and never taping passwords to a wall, under a keyboard, or in other easily discoverable areas. Access to user IDs may not be loaned or sold and any suspected breach of password security should be immediately reported to ITS at extension 7111, or e-mail itshelp@mail.colgate.edu.

• Protecting Desktop Equipment and Files

  Backups and protection of files stored on desktop equipment are the responsibility of the user of that equipment. Users must back up their work files on a regular basis. Department members are responsible for ensuring that critical files are backed up in their areas. ITS loans backup equipment to users and departments if not available locally.

  Individual users are responsible for safeguarding the equipment entrusted to them by the college. This includes reasonable protection of equipment from damage and theft. Individual users are also responsible for safeguarding any equipment they own personally and bring to campus.

• Confidentiality and Privacy

  Private communication via computer is treated with the same degree of protection as private communication in other media. However, due to limits of current technologies, which are inadequate to protect against unauthorized access, the confidentiality of e-mail and other system files can not be assured. All users should be aware of this and use reasonable caution when transmitting confidential materials.

  Colgate takes reasonable steps to protect users from unauthorized entry into their accounts or files, whether by other users or by system administrators, except in instances where a system-related problem requires such entry. A limited number of authorized Colgate personnel must occasionally monitor information on the network and/or computer systems to maintain the integrity of the systems. This access is required for reasons that include, but are not limited to, retrieving business-related information; trouble-shooting hardware and software problems; preventing unauthorized access and system misuse; providing for the overall efficiency and integrity of the systems; protecting the rights and property of the university; ensuring compliance with software and copyright, distribution, and other university policies; and complying with legal and regulatory requests for information.

  At the same time, users should continue to expect that their data, files, and e-mail will remain private. Personal files on college computers are treated with the same degree of privacy of files in college-assigned space in an office, lab, or residence hall. System monitoring is a mechanism for keeping track of computer system activities, rather than a method for accessing private information. ITS also take reasonable steps to prevent the dissemination of information concerning individual user activities. Ordinarily, access to electronic mail or computer files requires permission of the owner, court order, or other actions defined by law. Public electronic postings, to a USENET news group or other public electronic forum for example, will be treated analogously to a poster or a college publication and not considered private.

• Encryption

  Users may encrypt their e-mail or other files stored on university equipment only with the permission of ITS and only with the use of software approved and/or provided by the university. Such software must provide for the retention by the university of any key necessary to access encrypted messages.

• Central Computer Operation

  Access to computer operations areas is restricted to those responsible for operation and maintenance. Computing facilities on campus are secured when not open for business. ITS takes action to provide reasonable protection against environmental threats such as flooding, lightning, extreme temperatures, and loss or fluctuation of electrical power for central server and network facilities. ITS maintains disaster recovery plans and procedures for protecting critical data that reside on central servers.

  Colgate provides security for files stored on central computing facilities, but Colgate can not be responsible for protection against floods, fires, and catastrophic events of this type. Backup files from central servers are kept for only a few days. ITS does not guarantee the availability of backups for the restoration of files deleted through user error.