PNPI Audit Process under way

12 p.m., July 22, 2005--In September 2004, UD’s office of Information Technologies launched a campaign to help campus departments protect sensitive personal nonpublic information (PNPI), such as Social Security and credit card numbers.

“We are helping departments develop more secure business processes and making sure each department understands that it is responsible for assuring compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other laws that govern the use of PNPI,” Susan Foster, vice president for information technologies, said.

Information Technologies has released a new set of guidelines [www.udel.edu/ssn/guid.html] aimed at helping departments secure PNPI and make sure they are in compliance with the law.

The guidelines direct departments to ensure the privacy of PNPI by encrypting electronic transmissions, not storing PNPI locally and protecting PNPI when working from home or outside the University.

In addition, a team of Information Technologies staff members has begun visiting University offices to evaluate the processes for handling PNPI and to discuss measures that will help protect computer systems and sensitive information.

“So far, our staff have visited the registrar’s office, career services center, and development office, with meetings scheduled for admissions, public safety, student health center, the wellness center, recreation services, mechanical engineering, and housing and residence life,” Ron Nichols, manager of IT-User Services, said.

“By the middle of October, we will have met with every department on campus to discuss these extremely important issues. In addition, we will schedule some general seminars on protecting PNPI later this summer,” he said.

To request an audit of your department’s computing equipment and uses of PNPI, call the Information Technologies Help Center at (302) 831-6000.

See related links:

Protecting Personal Non-Public Information;
UD Computer Security;
Responsible Computing: A Manual for Staff;
Identity Theft; and
UD sets new protocols to prevent identity theft.

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