Encryption | Information Technology Services

This InfoCenteris a collection of resourcesaboutencryption for stored informationonportable devices, such as laptops, tablets, and externally attachedstorage. (Refer to SSL certificates in the Related InfoCenters box forinformation related toencrypted network communications.) The Help Desk provides general support for Windows BitLocker and for OSX FileVault2 full disk encryption.Questionsshould normally be handled by a departmental IT support person, and if necessary willbe escalated to the InformationSecurity & PolicyOffice or the ITS Enterprise Client Management team.

Encryption is a method to protect digital information, byscrambling it as it travels across the Internet, or scrambling it when the information is "at rest"or stored on our computers. This ensures that only authorized users can decrypt (un-scramble) the information and use it. Encryption enhances the privacy and confidentiality, as well as the integrity and authenticity of our information. It helps us keep our information safe.

Portable devices such as laptops, tablets, and USB storage are most at risk for being misplaced or stolen. If a device is lost or stolen, encryption prevents unauthorized users from accessing data stored locally on the device. Without encryption, unauthorized users canuse various techniques to bypass the accounts and permissions in order to access the localdrive contents.

In order to meet our legal obligations and our responsibility to protect the privacy of those we serve, The University of Iowa requires full disk encryption to be implemented onall university owned mobile computing devices (i.e.laptops,tablets, USBstorage). The best way to avoid theft or lossof sensitive data is to keepit in a secure file storage offering such as OneDrive, RDSS,or department shared drives, where it's physically secured and regularly backed up. Then,you can easily access the information remotelyfrom your mobile computer. However, encryption is oursafety net for new files,temporary (cached) files, and other information that is stored on a mobile device.

The Verizon 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report indicates15% of all security incidents involved some form of physical loss or theft.

Everyone uses network encryption today: over https connections from your browser to a website, over cellular phone-to-tower communications, and also over wireless networks that require a login or connection password, such as Eduroam, in order to protect the privacy of communications. Full disk encryption is similarly designed to protect information when its stored.

More:
Encryption | Information Technology Services