Confidentiality

  1. Operators of College information technology resources are expected to follow sound professional practices in providing security of electronic data. However, since the protections are not foolproof, the security and confidentiality of electronic data cannot be guaranteed. Sinclair Community College is a public institution of higher education and is, therefore, subject to the Ohio Public Records Act; this Act does not distinguish between media with regard to the definition of records, thereby electronic records are subject to this law. Confidentiality may also be compromised by the applicability of school policies, including this policy; by unintended redistribution; or because of the inadequacy of current technologies to protect against unauthorized access. Users should exercise extreme caution in using information technology resources to communicate confidential or sensitive information, and must employ approved security technology such as encryption when accessing, processing, or transmitting it.
  2. The existence of passwords and delete functions do not guarantee privacy or eliminate the ability to access electronic data. The delete function does not eliminate the data from the system. Systems are “backed up” on a routine basis to protect system reliability and integrity and to prevent potential loss of data. The backup process results in the copying of data onto storage media that is retained for periods of time and in locations unknown to the sender or recipient of the electronic data.