PRIVATE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE (PIMI) OVERVIEW

The Private Information Management Initiative seeks to identify and reduce the amount of Private Information found on RIT computers and storage devices. Private Information is information that is typically used to conduct identity theft and may include Social Security Numbers (SSNs), credit card numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank account information, etc.

Reducing the amount of Private Information (PI) will help safeguard the RIT community against identity theft and will help RIT comply with relevant state and federal laws.

GOALS

1. Increase awareness of the importance of safeguarding all Private Information, not just SSNs
2. Increase awareness of the existing RIT policies that address Private Information
3. Increase sense of individual accountability and responsibility in the area of policy compliance surrounding Private Information and a related understanding of the consequences for noncompliance
4. Effective destruction of non-approved and unnecessarily retained Private Information (paper and electronic forms) from business units and employee offices
5. Integration of the Records Management Policy into everyday employee activities
    

REPRESENTATION

RIT Information Technology Services (ITS) is leading this initiative with the assistance of project team representatives from each college and division. The representatives include:

• An Information Steward/Management Representative who will receive reports detailing the location of Private Information and will lead remediation efforts of Private Information found in electronic and paper forms.
• A Technical Representative who will assist in inventorying computers assigned to the respective college or division and will assist the Information Steward/Management Representative in remediation efforts.
• Current list of representatives
   

WHAT TO EXPECT

ITS is working with various RIT organizations to identify the location of SSNs and other Private Information by providing a software tool Spirion (formerly Identity Finder) that will scan computers and attached drives to determine if they contain Private Information. When Spirion finds suspected Private Information, it provides a report to the computer user and to ITS. The software also provides the computer user with tools to erase (shred) the information securely or to remove (scrub) the Private Information from the files.

Scans will be initiated by ITS. Computer users may also initiate an on-demand scan at their convenience. Spirion is licensed for use on RIT-owned computers and is currently available for Windows and Macs.