What is Spirion?
Spirion, formerly known as Identity Finder, is commercial software that searches for sensitive data such as social security numbers, credit/debit card numbers, and a variety of other data elements. It's a powerful tool that faculty and staff are encouraged to use to find sensitive data on their departmentally owned machines and storage locations.
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How do I Know if Spirion is Installed on my Device?
To access the Spirion application, first locate the desktop icon featuring a blue background and a white silhouette of a dog. If the icon is not visible, you can search for the application by typing "Spirion" into the search bar on Windows, typically located in the lower-left corner of the screen, or by looking for "Spirion" in the applications list on other operating systems.
Common Examples of Sensitive Data Locations
- Old class and grade rosters
- Locally stored email archives
- Research datasets
- Old salary information
- Exports from PeopleSoft, SIS, eBiz, etc.
- Shadow system data (e.g. local financial aid, admissions applications, etc.)
- Old backups and removable media
How Spirion Works
After Spirion is installed on a University machine, it will automatically start a scan on the last Tuesday of each month to look for:
- Credit Card Information
- Bank Account Numbers
- Social Security Numbers
- Driver’s License Numbers
If Spirion detects sensitive information on a workstation, it will report findings to the Spirion administration server. An additional monthly process is then initiated to identify and report workstations with a high volume of unprotected matches. This report is delivered to the Information Security Office. After a host has been identified as having a high volume of unprotected matches, a designated liaison for the departmental area will be notified of the results. It is the responsibility of that liaison to work with the appropriate end user to remediate the findings.
Eligibility
Spirion is available only to high-value faculty and staff who manage sensitive university data, due to limited licenses. If you believe you should have Spirion on your device but do not, please ask your manager to contact the Office of Information Security.
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