Open/Non-sensitive
In university governed cloud storage
The primary location for storing university data is Microsoft 365, including OneDrive for Business and Teams.
On a university Managed Desktop computer
If you are the only person who needs to access the file / files, save to your OneDrive for Business cloud storage. This will allow you to access the files from outside the university or via your laptop, tablet or mobile devices.
If you wish to share Open/Non-sensitive data with colleagues from the university, you should save your files to your OneDrive for Business cloud storage and grant rights to your colleagues to access just that file or folder.
On a university Managed Laptop computer
You may store non-sensitive data on a university managed laptop.
On university or personally owned device (laptop, tablet, phone)
You may store non-sensitive data on university provided, or your own personal devices.
USB Storage
Where possible, avoid storing university data on external devices such as pen drives and external hard drives. Use the Microsoft 365 cloud storage which you can access from anywhere.
Where the data is classified as highly sensitive, confidential or personal, and there is no other option but to use external storage, ensure that you use an encrypted USB storage device and ensure that a copy of the original data remains within OneDrive or Teams. For additional support, please contact the IT Service Desk.
Other storage devices
- Local disk drive (eg. Windows C:\ or Mac OS "Home" folder) - No
- CD/DVD - Yes
- Personal Cloud storage platforms - Yes
Personal/Confidential
In university governed cloud storage
Following additional infrastructure and system changes made by ILS to ensure university governed cloud storage is even more stable and secure, university data should be stored in Microsoft 365, including Teams and OneDrive for Business.
On a university Managed Desktop computer
Save to your university governed storage in the cloud (OneDrive for Business or Teams).
On a university Managed Laptop computer
You may store Personal/Confidential data on a university Managed Laptop, only under the following circumstances.
- The device is centrally managed by ILS and the user does not possess a local "super-user" / "admin" account.
- Information must, as minimum, be password protected (ideally the disks should be encrypted) and only saved temporarily on the local storage when access to suitable storage area (OneDrive for Business or Teams) is not possible.
- Data must be transferred immediately to suitable storage when access becomes available and them removed from the laptop's local storage.
On university or personally owned device (laptop, tablet, phone)
You may not store Personal/Confidential data on university provided, or your own personal devices.
USB Storage
Where possible, avoid storing university data on external devices such as pen drives and external hard drives. Use the Microsoft 365 cloud storage which you can access from anywhere.
Where the data is classified as highly sensitive, confidential or personal, and there is no other option but to use external storage, ensure that you use an encrypted USB storage device and ensure that a copy of the original data remains within OneDrive or Teams. For additional support, please contact the IT Service Desk.
Other storage devices
- Local disk drive (eg. Windows C:\ or Mac OS "Home" folder) - No
- CD/DVD - Yes
- Personal Cloud storage platforms - No. You must not use publicly available cloud services such as Google Drive
Highly Sensitive
In university governed cloud storage
Following additional infrastructure and system changes made by ILS to ensure university governed cloud storage is even more stable and secure, university data should be stored in Microsoft 365, including Teams and OneDrive for Business.
On a university Managed Desktop computer
Save to your university governed storage in the cloud (OneDrive for Business or Teams).
On a university Managed Laptop computer
You may store Highly Sensitive data on a university Managed Laptop, only under the following circumstances.
- The device is centrally managed by ILS and the user does not possess a local "super-user" / "admin" account.
- Information must, as minimum, be password protected (ideally the disks should be encrypted) and only saved temporarily on the local storage when access to suitable storage area (OneDrive for Business or Teams) is not possible.
- Data must be transferred immediately to suitable storage when access becomes available and them removed from the laptop's local storage.
On university or personally owned device (laptop, tablet, phone)
You may not store Highly Sensitive data on university provided, or your own personal devices.
USB Storage
Where possible, avoid storing university data on external devices such as pen drives and external hard drives. Use the Microsoft 365 cloud storage which you can access from anywhere.
Where the data is classified as highly sensitive, confidential or personal, and there is no other option but to use external storage, ensure that you use an encrypted USB storage device and ensure that a copy of the original data remains within OneDrive or Teams. For additional support, please contact the IT Service Desk.
Other storage devices
- Local disk drive (eg. Windows C:\ or Mac OS "Home" folder) - No
- CD/DVD - Yes
- Personal Cloud storage platforms - No. You must not use publicly available cloud services such as Google Drive
Paper Copies
- For information on how to dispose of confidential data, please contact the Estates and Facilities helpdesk via the Portal.
- When posting confidential information, it is best to use two envelopes, one inside the other
- You should leave the outer envelope plain, without any indication of sensitivity (e.g. 'Confidential, 'Private', etc) so as not to attract attention to it. Then, you should seal and mark the inner envelope appropriately.
- This way, potential thieves aren't alerted to the nature of what's being posted, while the recipient will become aware when they open the first envelope. Within the university, deliver confidential information by hand whenever possible.