Where to store your files and data?
You have many storage options available to you at EHE. How do you select the best one for you while ensuring data is safely protected? Here is a summary of the services available to you and what types of information can be stored in each, as well as several OSU policies regarding storage and retention of data.
Data Classification and the Institutional Data Policy
Before we choose the appropriate service, we must classify our data. Data is assigned one of 4 classification levels: S1 Public, S2 Private, S3 Internal, and S4 Restricted.
The Institutional Data Policy website includes reference documents that can help you classify your data. There is even a nifty IDP Calculator that will allow you to select what types of data you are saving and will show you not only the classification level, but what services you can use to store it. Give it a try here!
Records Retention Schedules
EHE follows the Ohio State University General Records Retention Schedule which specifies how long University records should be retained and disposed of. Many records have retention schedules as short as a year before they should be destroyed. Please see this list of records types and their retention schedules. A Records Destruction or Transfer form should also be completed when a record(s) is destroyed/deleted. (Note: this deletion form pertains to University data that is administrative, fiscal and/or has legal value).
BuckeyeBox
BuckeyeBox is Ohio State’s approved cloud collaboration tool with unlimited storage (individual file sizes up to 15gb). The sky’s the limit! BuckeyeBox allows you to easily store your files and use them from any device. If you want to make sure you can get to your files at work, at home, and on the go from any device this is for you! You can quickly share and collaborate with team members. We recommend using the Box Drive application so that BuckeyeBox shows up as a folder on your computer for easy access.
BuckeyeBox can be used to store S1, S2, S3, and some types of S4 data.
Visit the Knowledge Base for help and tutorials.
OneDrive for Business with Office 365
OneDrive is the Microsoft cloud service that connects you to all your files. It lets you store and protect your files, share them with others, and get to them from anywhere on all your devices.
OneDrive integrates closely with other Microsoft 365 services, making it easy to save and work on your files from multiple devices. Some services like OneNote may save to OneDrive by default. It’s a great option for storing your personal files. Space is limited to 1 Terabyte of data, however, so we recommend using BuckeyeBox for departmental groups.
Office 365, including OneDrive for Business, can be used to store S1, S2, and S3 data.
EHE File Servers
EHE files servers are run and configured by OIT. We set up access groups and manage backups. If cloud solutions such as BuckeyeBox and OneDrive don’t meet your needs a file share can be configured for you. These file shares are only accessible on OSU networks or the VPN. If you need to access your files from multiple devices when you are away from campus one of the approved cloud services may better fit your needs. On campus, file shares may be appropriate for some business applications that require a fixed drive letter.
EHE file servers can be used to store S1, S2, S3, and some S4 data. S4 data can only be stored on our Restricted file server that has additional security requirements in place.
Everyone at Ohio State handles data. Whether it's their personal information, someone elses or research, we're often balancing our need for security with our desire to preserve the open, information-sharing mission of our academic culture. [cybersecurity.osu.edu]
EHE OIT is here to help every step of the way! We're happy to meet in person to give a better overview of the process and guide you through the above steps. We can help with questions on classification and retention, as well as help copy your files to the best storage service that fits your needs.