Spirion is used by ILR to search your hard drive for high-risk data like social security number, credit card numbers and drivers license numbers as required by Cornell University Policy 5.10. These data should never be stored on ILR managed computers. If you have special requirements for handling high-risk data, please consult with ILRTS in advance.
Scheduled scans are performed automatically once a month. These scans search your email, and local computer document folders for sensitive information. In addition, scans can be run manually anytime using the Spirion client.
When the scheduled scan runs you will have a search summary opened on you computer with the results;
Click on the Advanced button and create a password or enter one you have already created. If you need assistance with a forgotten password, please enter a helpdesk request with ILR tech services.
You will now see a list of files that may have possible sensitive data in them.
Before you start, Take a look at the different remediation options you have.
Shred – The Shred option permanently deletes the selected files. It bypasses the Recycle Bin, and the file cannot be restored or undone. The file is wiped using a U.S. Department of Defense standard.
This is the best action if you want to permanently remove an entire file.
Redact – With Redact, Spirion automatically erases the sensitive information, such as Social Security or Credit Card Numbers, and replaces them with a series of Xs. The rest of the document remains untouched. This operation cannot be undone. This option only works on documents containing plain text. It will not work on images or some .pdf documents.
This is the best action if you want to retain the file but remove the sensitive information.
Ignore – The Ignore option should only be used if Spirion displays a file that contains false positives, meaning the data Spirion thinks is sensitive, yet is not. In a Profile, once data is ignored, the data will not be found on future scans. Never ignore a document containing sensitive information. Files with sensitive information should either be shredded, redacted, or moved to a secure location. You should typically ignore by “This Item Location,” which will ignore only that file.
The results of the search are displayed in the A) Results View, B) Preview Pane (details of the highlighted file), and C) Properties Pane. Each pane provides relevant information about the result including the full path to its location, the type and value of the result, a preview of that result in context, as well as additional details.
Three common remediation options—Ignore, Shred, and Redact—will be discussed.
Ignore
Look at each result in detail, to determine if the result is indeed sensitive information. If the file contains sample credit card numbers or certain reported numbers are mistaken for Social Security Numbers, you may tell Spirion to ignore those matches for the current and future searches. Ignored matches are added to an approved exception list—the Ignore List—in your profile so you not see them again unless the file changes significantly.
Shred
When a location has a sensitive data match and you wish to permanently remove it from your computer, use the Shred feature. Shred is the correct choice when you no longer need the sensitive information.
Note: Shredded results cannot be recovered. Once you shred something, it is gone.
Redact
When a file contains sensitive information and you wish to keep the item but remove the sensitive information only, you should utilize the Redact feature. Redact is great when you no longer need the sensitive information but want to keep the original item. Note: Redact is only available for specific file types searched via the Files search and is not available for E-Mail or other search locations.
You may also launch a Spirion Scan on your own. Open Spirion on your computer.
Enter your password and select start search, the wizard allows you to pick things to scan.
While Spirion is searching in the background, you may continue working on the computer. Spirion should not affect the
performance of the computer.