Carleton provides a number of tools to help students, faculty, and staff protect their data from both malicious attacks and from accidents. As more and more of our personal information becomes primarily stored in electronic format, it is increasingly important to be cautious and intentional about sharing data, and to ensure that sensitive, confidential, or personally-identifiable information is not vulnerable if your computer is lost or stolen.
Getting Started
Carleton-owned laptops that might store sensitive information are encrypted using a program called BitLocker. Because BitLocker encrypts the entire hard drive, it provides protection to the data stored on it even if the laptop is stolen and disassembled. BitLocker is generally installed and configured at the time the laptop is delivered. For more information, please click here: BitLocker: Installation & Setup.
When you are off-campus, you can ensure that any information you send over the internet is transmitted securely by using Carleton’s Virtual Private Network, or VPN. Effectively, the VPN wraps your off-campus network connection in a secure “Carleton blanket,” encrypting all your internet traffic and routing it through Carleton’s servers. You can find more information about how to set up and use the VPN here: GlobalProtect VPN.
Questions?
- For questions about BitLocker, please contact the ITS Helpdesk at x5999
- For questions about the VPN, please contact Dan Stephans at x4768