About IPAS

The Information, Privacy and Security (IPAS) Team was formed in Fall of 2006. The primary goal is to assure the privacy of critical information and to comply with internal policies and regulations affecting Penn State. The IPAS team will provide awareness training, facilitate the compliance process, collect reporting documentation and prepare departments for on-going reporting responsibilities.

The Information Privacy and Security (IPAS) Project is sponsored by the Office of Security Operations and Services (SOS), a unit of ITS, and the Privacy Office, a unit of the Corporate Controller.

As a University-wide effort much like the Social Security Number conversion project, the IPAS has been segmented into two phases.

Phase I will focus on PCI DSS compliance for all PSU areas processing credit cards. Certain high-risk environments with other personally identifiable information storage will also be reviewed in Phase I.

This will require significant departmental commitment of staff time and departmental budget allocations to determine the current state of your area's data security and subsequent actions to correct any defi ciencies. Ongoing obligations to maintain compliance will need to be planned and implemented.

Phase II will focus on internal policy requirements and other statutory compliance obligations relative to personally identifiable information. It is expected that many of the improvements resulting from Phase I will greatly enhance the privacy and security of institutional information and the information about Penn State students, staff, faculty, and other individuals.

The IPAS Team is comprised of three individuals; one project manager, one senior network analyst and one project technical coordinator. These individuals were recruited from various areas at Penn State and compliment one another in their areas of expertise. Click here to meet the IPAS Team members.

The overall IPAS initiative will greatly enhance the privacy and security of institutional information and the information about Penn State students, staff, faculty and other individuals. [back to top]