Data Classification Levels

Owned by Micah Schaafsma
Last updated: Feb 25, 2020
2 min read

All Seattle Pacific University Institutional Data is classified into one of the four classifications or sensitivity levels described below: Restricted, Confidential, Internal, and Public.

For more detail regarding handling of Regulated Data, the Regulated Data Chart provides an overview of the types of regulated data that are permitted in various systems/platforms.


RESTRICTED

Data are classified as restricted if:

  • disclosure could cause severe harm to individuals and/or the university, including exposure to criminal and civil liability
  • the University is required to self-report to the government or the public notice if the data is inappropriately accessed or handled
  • legal and/or compliance regime may require assessment or certification by an external, third party
  • loss of confidentiality, integrity or availability of the data has a significant risk to the University's reputation, finances, life and safety of the community, or increases security risk of other systems and data


 See examples...

 Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • HIPAA protected health records
  • PCI-DSS regulated credit card information
  • FISMA protected research
  • Usernames and passwords
CONFIDENTIAL

Data are classified as confidential if:

  • disclosure could cause significant harm to individuals and/or the university, including exposure to criminal and civil liability
  • the data is subject to legal and regulatory requirements due to data that are individually identifiable, highly sensitive and/or confidential
  • loss of confidentiality, integrity or availability of the data has a moderate risk to the University's mission, reputation and/or finances
  • exposure poses low risk to life and safety


 See examples...

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Attorney client privilege records
  • Financial accounts and direct deposit information
  • Human Subject research data
  • Social Security Numbers
  • Student loan application information (GLBA)
  • Passport, visa, and alien registration numbers
  • Taxpayer and employer identification numbers
  • Health insurance identification numbers
INTERNAL

Data are classified as internal if:

  • Disclosure could cause limited harm to individuals and/or the university with some risk of civil liability.
  • May be subject to contractual agreements or regulatory compliance, or is individually identifiable, confidential, and/or proprietary.
  • loss of confidentiality, integrity or availability of the data has a little risk to the University's mission, reputation and/or finances
  • exposure poses no risk to life and safety


 See examples...

 Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Student education records (FERPA)
  • Student ID Number
  • Research data or results prior to publication or the filing of a patent application
  • Building plans, real-estate transactions, and associated information
  • Threat assessments and preparedness strategies
  • Contracts with third-party entities
  • Donor records (individual)
  • Employee records (multiple types)
  • Emergency planning information
  • Immigration documents (such as visas)
  • Intellectual or other proprietary property
  • University non-public financial information
PUBLIC

Data are classified as public if:

  • data is intended for public release
  • loss of confidentiality, integrity or availability of the data has a no risk to the University's mission, reputation and/or finances
  • exposure poses no risk to life and safety


 See examples...

 Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Course catalogs and time schedule
  • Faculty, staff, and student directory information (unless there is a privacy block)
  • General institutional and business information not classified as Restricted, Confidential, or Internal
  • Information in the public domain
  • Public websites
  • Published research (barring other publication restrictions)
  • Research Awards
  • Research Proposals