Security and Privacy

Want to see some quick, free videos and other tools on top privacy and security issues? Check out the resources below. They are free to you as a member of the Penn community - and we think enjoyable too!...

While much data at Penn is absolutely necessary to our everyday operations and mission, most people retain sensitive data longer than they need to. This is true for paper documents as well as computer files, emails, and so on. And keeping unnecessary data creates unnecessary risks both to the individuals whose data is kept and to Penn...

Data Privacy Day is an annual international event that promotes awareness about the ways personal information is collected, stored, used, and shared...

A 2003 study from Pepperdine University showed that almost three quarters of all data loss is the result of hardware failure and human error. In a moment, research, photographs, spreadsheets, documents, e-mail - anything and everything stored on your computer - can be lost if your hard drive fails or you lose your laptop. The moral: back up your data!...

Have you asked yourself any of the following questions?: May I share a student's grades with her parents? May I leave graded exams outside a door for students to pick up? May I post class lists on the web? May I destroy copies of old grade sheets? May I discuss a student's academic performance with his advisor? If you have, then you have recognized that there are "do's” and "don'ts” involved in the handling of student data...

At Penn and everywhere, there is a growing interest in hiring vendors with specialized expertise to help us successfully deliver services. And sometimes, that means allowing those vendors to access institutional data, including personal information of students, faculty, staff, alumni and others. So, is it okay to let a third party use Penn data as part of an outsourcing arrangement? The answer is - you guessed it - it depends...

Today's smart phones (such as the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.) include a variety of features that have made them indispensable to their owners. The ability to list nearby restaurants, instantly read reviews of the store you are standing in, or simply map your current location and quickly get directions, are just a few...

Global smartphone shipments are expected to reach 462 million units in 2011, an increase of 60% over the 288 million shipped in 2010. Many of us use these devices to help conduct both our work and personal business in efficient and convenient ways. However, as usage of smartphones grows, so do concerns about the privacy and security of the data on those devices...