Encryption: Protect your precious data with an invisibility spell!
The wizard Alyce sits in her tower, frantically scrawling her secrets in a spellbook. When she is done, she pulls out her wand, utters a few magic phrases, and the words on the page disappear. Only she and the Arch-Mage Baughb know the magic required to reveal these secrets, protecting them from anyone who attempts to decipher them.
Regardless of whether your data is sitting at rest on your hard drive or being sent to its destination, you should protect your data whenever possible with encryption!
Encryption Tips Heading link
Regardless of whether your data is sitting at rest on your hard drive or being sent to its destination, you should protect it whenever possible with encryption!
Simply put, Encryption is a method of converting data into a secret code to hide its meaning. While it has seen an increase in use in the computer age to protect private data, encryption has been used in various forms for centuries. Encrypting your data protects it from prying eyes!
When sending data over the internet, make sure that it is encrypted while in transit. If you’re entering your data on a website, check and verify that the padlock next to the URL web address bar is closed, indicating that the website is secure. If you send data through another mechanism such as email, stop to think about what might happen if someone saw the contents of the email before hitting send. Although much email is encrypted while traveling across the internet, there is still a significant amount that is not. For emailing sensitive information, think about using the newly-available encryption feature in Office 365! More information is available at: answers.uillinois.edu/uic/103041
Encrypt your devices whenever possible! In the event that your device is lost or stolen, encryption allows you to keep your secrets a secret. Please remember that all portable devices in university HIPAA-covered components must be encrypted with a university-approved encryption solution. HIPAA-covered components are listed at: hipaa.uillinois.edu/health-care-components
Technology Solutions offers the following data Encryption options:
- Managed Microsoft BitLocker (MBAM) for Windows encryption services to Staff: accc.uic.edu/services/security/encryption/bitlocker
- PGP Desktop Encryption to Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students: accc.uic.edu/services/security/encryption/pgp
- Email Encryption in Office 365: answers.uillinois.edu/uic/103041
Data is your most valuable resource! Protect it from those who would take it from you. Encrypt your devices today!
For more information, contact security@uic.edu.