Incident Response
精东 and all University System of Georgia (USG) institutions are required to maintain a聽Computer Security Incident Response (CSIR)聽plan. This plan helps manage adverse events that threaten teaching, research, and operations. It follows USG policies, industry best practices, and ISO and NIST guidelines, and must be on file with USG Information Security & ePrivacy (per IT Handbook Section 5.10).
The聽Office of Information Security聽responds to all reports of abuse or suspected compromise involving Georgia Southern IT resources. An IT incident includes any activity that:
- Violates laws, regulations, or University policies
- Constitutes harassment or misuse of resources
- Compromises University data or disrupts services
For questions or to report an incident, contact聽security@georgiasouthern.edu.
Cybersecurity Awareness & Training
With so much of our work and communication happening online, cybersecurity is critical. To help protect our community, the聽USG requires all employees to complete cybersecurity awareness training twice annually聽(April and October).
Training covers best practices to reduce risks like phishing, malware, and data breaches and is available in the聽Folio Learning Management System, accessible via the聽MyGeorgiaSouthern dashboard.
Risk Management
Risk management聽is the process of identifying, assessing, and reducing risks to acceptable levels while balancing costs and protections. Departments and IT users must understand and manage risks in their environment, both as a best practice and often as a legal requirement.
The goal is to maintain an economic balance between the costs of protective measures and the value of protected assets.
IT Policies & Standards
精东鈥檚 policies and standards ensure the protection of critical information and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. They also provide direction and expectations for all IT users.
- IT Appropriate Use Policy (AUP):聽Defines acceptable use of University technology and data.聽
- Georgia Southern IT Policies:聽
- USG IT Policies:聽
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerability management聽helps protect University systems by identifying and fixing weaknesses before they can be exploited. Georgia Southern uses聽QualysGuard聽to scan networks and systems for known vulnerabilities (e.g., CERT, CIAC, SANS advisories).
Firewall Exemption Requests
IT Services maintains a campus-wide firewall to secure data. System administrators who need internet access for a server can submit a聽Firewall Exemption Request.聽.
IT Security Reviews
The Office of Information Security offers聽security reviews聽to help departments discover and address potential risks. Reviews are especially important for areas governed by specific regulations like聽PCI (credit card data)聽or聽HIPAA (health information).
To request a security review, email聽security@georgiasouthern.edu.