Sensitive Data Storage Best Practices
As an employee of CSU East Bay, you are responsible for all university data that is sent, stored, or shared on all personal or university-owned devices that you use. Part of this responsibility includes choosing appropriate technology to manage and store the data, some of which may be confidential or restricted. We have multiple options for data storage — from University servers to cloud-based services — but not all options are appropriate for all types of data. To help you choose the proper solutions for your university data, we've developed a matrix that outlines what can be stored where.
Sensitive Data Storage Classification
Information in the matrix below applies only to CSU East Bay enterprise versions of the services. CSUEB Data must never be stored in a consumer personal Gmail account e.g., mymail@gmail.com. The standard provides three levels of data classification regarding the level of security placed on the particular types of information assets.
This list below is not exhaustive and should only be used as a reference for purposes of data protection. Data protection is the implementation of administrative, technical, or physical measures to guard against unauthorized access to data.
Protected Level 1 (PL-1 Confidential)
- HIPAA: ePHI, Personal Health Records, Health Insurance Data
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII): Name with Personally Identifiable Information SSN, Passport, Visa, etc.
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA): Name with Financial Information, Bank Accounts, Tax Returns, etc.
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS): Payment card information, Credit Card Numbers, Bank Account and Routing Numbers.
- Law Enforcement Records: Name with Driver’s License, Criminal Background.
- Campus Access Credentials: Passwords or credentials that grant access to level 1 and level 2 data.
Protected Level 2 (PL-2 Internal Use)
- FERPA: Student Information: Educational Records not defined as directory” information, typically: Grades, Courses taken, Schedule, Test Scores, Advising records, Educational services received, Disciplinary actions, Student photo.
- Campus Financial's.
- Campus Attorney-client communication.
- Employee Information:Name with: Home Address, Home Phone, Personal Email, Marital Status, Gender, Evaluation, Personnel Actions.
Protected Level 3 (PL-3 General)
- Information publicly available Publications Web: The information which may be designated as publicly available and/or intended to be provided to the public.
Sensitive Data Storage Matrix
How to interpret the Matrix
Listed below are the only IT Tools and Services to Store or Share CSU/CSUEB Protected Data
| Storage Location | Description | PL-1 | PL-2 | PL-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ** With the review and approval of the Information Security office. Please contact the Info Sec Team at iso@csueastbay.edu for more information. | ||||
| Google Drive | An enterprise solution that allows faculty/staff users to store, share and edit files as part of Google Workspace. | Use Permitted | Use Permitted | Use Permitted |
| OneDrive for Business | An enterprise service that allows students, faculty, and staff to store, share and edit files within online Office apps as part of Microsoft Office 365. | Use Prohibited | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted |
| SharePoint | An online collaboration space that is part of Office 365. | Use Prohibited | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted |
| Network File Shares | Network drives only accessible on the CSUEB network and managed by CSUEB ITS Staff. | Use Permitted** | Use Permitted | Use Permitted |
| Servicenow | Ticketing system | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted** | Use Permitted |
| University-owned devices | Local Workstation or Laptop managed by CSUEB. | Use Prohibited | Use Restricted** | Use Permitted |
| Non-University-owned devices | Personal Computers or devices not owned or managed by CSUEB. | Use Prohibited | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted |
| Portable Storage | Thumb drives, portable hard drives or any other portable device that is capable of storing files. | Use Prohibited | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted |
| AWS S3 Buckets | University provided AWS S3 file buckets and Glacier archives. | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted | Use Permitted |
| AI / ChatGPT | AI-Powered software used to produce or edit content. | Use Prohibited | Use Prohibited | Use Permitted |
Notes
- The Regulated Data Storage Matrix only indicates if appropriate technical safeguards and contractual protections are in place for storing or sharing regulated or confidential data using a particular technology.