IT Professionals:
Faculty and staff who will be traveling soon, especially those traveling internationally, face increased risks of having university data or devices compromised or stolen. Tomorrow we’ll be sending to faculty and staff who have traveled within the last two years a set of actions to take before they travel. One of those tips is to consult with their IT Pro in advance of travel.
In addition, the top story in this week’s Monitor will highlight these tips as well.
The University Information Security Office and the Chief Information Security Officer recommend the following:
- Use a light touch. Don’t try to limit your faculty/staff too much, as some will find workarounds that are even less secure.
- Keep things small. Smaller devices like tablets and phones are less likely to be left in hotel rooms where they can be stolen or modified (e.g., implanted with a keystroke logger). Smaller devices are also more difficult to modify and can be wiped remotely.
- Do offer loaner machines that can be wiped upon return if you have them.
- Encourage faculty and staff to enroll in and be prepared to use the remote wipe capabilities provided by the manufacturer (such as Apple’s iCloud) or IU (Exchange ActiveSync).
- Remind faculty and staff to contact the University Information Policy Office if their device is stolen.
- Have travelers enroll a secondary Duo device.
- Encourage faculty and staff to use IU’s SSL VPN where possible, noting that it may be blocked in some countries.
- Offer to set up whole-disk encryption on laptops to prevent data theft. Encourage passwords and encryptions on mobile phones.
IU has a number of resources to help faculty, students, and staff guard against and report such threats. These include the UITS Support Center [1] and the Office of the Associate Vice President for Information Security web pages [2]. Please encourage faculty and staff to review the tips for travelers for securing mobile devices while traveling [3].
–IT Community Partnerships on behalf of the University Information Security Office
[1] https://uits.iu.edu/tech-help
[2] https://protect.iu.edu/online-safety/index.html
[3] https://protect.iu.edu/online-safety/personal-preparedness/mobile-devices-traveling.html
~~~~~ Today’s IT Pro Tip ~~~~~
On Wednesday, February 26 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, ITCP will host an infoshare about upcoming changes to Red Hat Enterprise Linux licensing. Please send in any questions you have about this change to talk2uits@iu.edu and we will provide answers during this infoshare. Please register: https://iu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5tflLcO8QG6aNnN83MnbcA