Ithaca College

As part of the continuing effort to ensure the security and integrity of the College's information systems, the College will be implementing disk encryption on both Windows and Apple laptop devices over the remainder of the spring and early summer.  Additional information regarding disk encryption is noted below.

The Information Technology team will be coordinating the encryption implementation schedule directly with each department / school.  You will receive an email from Information Technology with specific details of the installation as we get closer.  We thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we take this prudent step to increase the security of the College's information technology systems.  If anyone has any questions, please contact the IT Service Desk at (607) 274-1000.

Information Technology Service Desk
104 Job Hall
servicedesk@ithaca.edu
607-274-1000

What is disk encryption?   
Disk encryption is a technology which protects information by converting it into unreadable code that cannot be deciphered easily by unauthorized individuals.  

Why is it important?   
The purpose of disk encryption is to protect data stored on a computer to include personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, birthdates, Social Security numbers and financial information.  If a laptop is lost or stolen and the disk is not encrypted, a thief can easily steal this information.  A thief doesn't even need to know the sign-on password to access the files - it's easy to boot a computer from a USB thumb drive and then access the disks within a computer. 

How will this impact me?   
The implementation of disk encryption will have no impact on how you interact with and use your IC issued computer.  In the vast majority of installations Information Technology (IT) will install the encryption software remotely.  If your computer does require additional configuration, an Information Technology representative will reach out to you directly.