Since the launch of the University of Colorado’s IT Security Program in 2007, our university system has made rapid progress in protecting Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and other personal and financial information pertaining to current and prospective students, faculty, staff, donors and other people who rely on CU services.

More than 20,000 CU employees have completed online privacy and security training courses, and that number is growing. A universitywide inventory of sensitive data has reduced the amount of sensitive information stored on the university’s computing systems. The university’s IT experts have revised many of CU’s day-to-day business processes to limit the collection and storage of personal information only to what is absolutely necessary.

Despite these important accomplishments, it is essential that CU employees remember that the responsibility for information privacy and security does not fall only to campus IT offices, and that IT security is not a one-time training issue.

Information privacy and security are the responsibility of all CU employees. Technology failures rarely cause data breaches. Rather, most data/security breaches are the result of well-intentioned employees who do not follow secure processes while simply trying to do their jobs. As such, it is important to remember the following principle:

Information privacy and security are not just about technology—they are about the way people handle the personal information they collect and store. Protect personal information as you would like others to protect your personal information.

You can start exploring your campus privacy and security resources by clicking on the following links:

• Boulder: http://www.colorado.edu/itsecurity
• Colorado Springs: http://www.uccs.edu/~itsecure/
• Denver: http://administration.ucdenver.edu/admin/its/securitybest.htm
• System Administration: https://www.cu.edu/ums/security/

Additional information regarding privacy and security may be found at https://www.cu.edu/information-privacy-and-security.

I am grateful for the efforts of all CU employees who keep data security and personal privacy foremost in their minds as they undertake day-to-day administrative tasks in admissions and registrars offices, in student and housing services and in other important university departments. You are helping us operate in ways that inspire public confidence.

Thank you,

Bruce D. Benson
President

“...it is essential that CU employees remember that the responsibility for information privacy and security does not fall only to campus IT offices...”

 

"Protect personal information as you would like others to protect your personal information."