Know the Rules
All NAU employees and students should read and be familiar with the Appropriate Use of IT Resources.Information Technology Policy Manual
Data Security at NAU
NAU is committed to protecting all IT resources that are critical to teaching, research, and other various business and operational practices across the University. Data security is governed by legal, contractual, or University policy considerations including our Data Classification and Handling Policy.
What is Data Security? Accordion Closed
Data security is the protection from unauthorized access, use, change, disclosure, or destruction.
While information has always been a valuable commodity, the digital world has made it more available and sought after by malicious entities. As such, it is the responsibility of every University Community Member to help protect the data from being exposed to unauthorized sources.
Why is Data Security Important? Accordion Closed
Data is foundational to all teaching, research, and business at and around the University. If data is lost, it can be slow, costly, or impossible to recover. It is important that all University data is stored, secured, and backed up in such a manner that complies with all relevant policies and regulations.
Securing data will help prevent:
- Accidental or malicious damage or modification to data
- Theft of valuable data
- Breach of confidentiality agreements and privacy laws
- Premature release of data, which can void intellectual property claims
- Release prior to data being checked for accuracy and authenticity
What is Data Privacy? Accordion Closed
Data privacy is the set of practices, policies, procedures, and other methods used to ensure data is only accessed by an authorized source. Privacy helps to ensure that data is used in a way that is expected, reasonable, and respectful.
Data Privacy Disclosures
Relevant disclosures related to data security at NAU will be archived here for reference.
February 2022 Data Privacy Incident (PDF)