Data backup mechanisms help safeguard the information assets of Saint Michael’s College; prevents the loss of data in the case of accidental deletion or corruption of data, system failure, or disaster; and it permits timely restoration of information and business processes, should such events occur.
Scope
The Information Technology department is responsible for the backup of data held in central systems and related databases. The responsibility for backing up data held on the workstations of individuals regardless of whether they are owned privately or by Saint Michael's College falls entirely to the user.
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This policy applies to all critical data of Saint Michael’s College, including data outside of the College stored at remote physical locations and in a cloud service.
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This policy applies to faculty and staff who may be creators and/or users of such data.
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This policy also applies to third parties who access and use of Saint Michael’s College systems and IT equipment or who create, process, or store data owned by Saint Michael’s College
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Backup of data stored on personal computer devices such as desktops, laptops, and mobile devices is the responsibility of the individual who uses the device(s).
Definitions
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Data is a discrete body of information created, collected and stored in connection with the operation and management of the College and used by members of the College having authorized access as a primary source. Data includes electronic databases as well as physical files.
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Critical data in this context, includes email, personal and shared files, specific databases and web contents, and operating systems.
Policy
Data Backup
Unless otherwise noted, system data will be backed up according to the following default schedule:
The retention periods of information contained within system level backups are designed for recoverability and provide a point-in-time snapshot of information as it existed during the time period defined by the backup policies.
Backups will periodically be verified:
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On a daily basis, backup logs will be reviewed for errors, abnormal durations, and to look for opportunities to improve backup performance.
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Corrective actions will be taken when backup problems are identified, in order to reduce risks associated with failed backups.
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Random test restorations will be done monthly to verify successful backups.
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IT will maintain records of backups and restoration tests to demonstrate compliance with this policy.
Timeliness for data recovery
Restoration of accidentally deleted or corrupted information must be made through the IT Helpdesk at ithelp@smcvt.edu and will be routed to…
Related Policies, Procedures and Forms
Information Security Plan and Data Policy
Campus Card Entry Data Retention Policy
Enforcement
Violation of any of the constraints of this policy or procedures may be subject to discipline as outlined in the employee and student handbooks, or a termination of the contract in the case of contractors or consultants. Additionally, individuals may be subject to loss of Saint Michael’s College information resource access privileges, may be subject to legal action, and may also be held financially liable.
Notification of possible violations may be made to the Helpdesk at 802.654.2020 or to abuse@smcvt.edu.