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Whether a given cloud app is appropriate to use for your UC IRVINE Irvine activities (or even for your personal use) is a matter of understanding the risks and making an informed decision. This document is intended to help you be a savvy consumer of these services should you choose to utilize them in connection with UC IRVINE Irvine activities.
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The Basics
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- It is your responsibility to take privacy and security into consideration when making decisions about when it is and is not acceptable to use free/low cost services. All University and campus policies apply to all University data, whether on UC or non-UC systems. Most of these services typically include "click-to-accept" agreements that have not been reviewed or approved by UC and so may introduce security risks for your information and to the University. If you need help assessing these risks, don't hesitate to ask (see Resources, below).
- Restricted and confidential information must never be stored, received, processed or published on non-UC systems unless you have worked with Purchasing to ensure that a UC-approved agreement is in place that addresses information security and privacy requirements and concerns. Similarly, don't rely on external information systems or services for critical University business processes unless a UC-approved agreement is in place.
- The University cannot protect the privacy of your communications if you use one of these services, as it has no control over what occurs outside its borders.
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- When you sign up to use free/low cost services, you may be agreeing to terms and conditions, terms of service, and acceptable use policies that are different from UC's or UC IRVINEIrvine's. The company can attempt to hold you to what you agree to, even if it is just a "click-to-accept"-type agreement. Do you have delegated authority to enter into this type of agreement on behalf of UC IRVINEIrvine? If not, you may be in violation of University policy if you "click-to-accept" the terms of use.
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- Much of this advisory document has been adapted from UC IRVINEUCLA's Guidance on the Use of Cloud Apps by Individuals, UC Santa Cruz's Use of Free Services, with additional input from UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
- Cornell University's Outsourcing and Cloud Computing for Higher Education provides a comprehensive overview of these issues.