Statement of Direction
Personal Computers
Personal computers are indispensable tools in academe. For these computers to be effectively and securely integrated in support of the educational, research and clinical activities of the Medical School, they must meet certain requirements. In the past, fiscal and systematic processes have not ensured that these computers have met minimum hardware security and performance requirements. It is becoming increasingly important that these minimum security requirements be met.
Consequently, the Medical School is initiating a plan that will, within four years, have all personal computers (both desktop and laptop computers) provided under a rolling three-year leasing program. Once this goal is achieved, one-third of the computers will be replaced under new leases each year.
All departments should plan to include funds in their FY 2006 budgets for leasing approximately one-third of their personal computers. Over the subsequent two years, this funding must be increased so that all personal computers within a department will be provided through the leasing Program as of FY 2008.
The terms of the leasing program will include options with varying levels of system requirements.
New Acquisition Procedures
Effective immediately:
- All desktop and laptop computers to be newly acquired, except for those to be used as dedicated research or special task-oriented computers, must be leased from the Medical School’s Computer Leasing Program regardless of funding source. Information regarding the cost of the leasing program and available options is available here.
- Computers may be purchased only when approved by the Medical School Office of Information Technology (MSIT). Requests will be approved only if the systems are for dedicated research or unique, task-oriented purposes. Innovative uses consistent with the scholarly missions of the university will be considered. (See “Criteria for Identification of Research and Specialized Computers” presented below.)
- When appropriate computers are leased through the Leasing Program for dedicated research or special task-oriented applications, MSIT approval will not be required.
Criteria for Identification of Research and Specialized Computers
The unique requirements often associated with research and specialized computers are clearly recognized by the university. Because of these unique circumstances, these specialized computers need to be explicitly identified. Failure to identify specialized computers presents grave security risks both to the research/clinical functions and to the university and raises the possibility that the intended functions might be adversely affected as IT security measures are automatically activated to stem ongoing cyber threats.
The MSIT is systematically working with investigators to formalize a plan that best meets the security and compliance issues associated with research systems. In order to address the issues concerning the research systems, we must have a list of critical machines.
Research and special task-oriented computers are defined as computers meeting one or more of the following criteria:
- Involved in real-time data acquisition via attached instrumentation
- Providing real-time instrument control
- Executing time sensitive and/or prolonged computations
- Hosting required applications having unique requirements not supported by typical desktop systems
- Hosting critical software and hardware applications that cannot be supported by current, appropriately patched operating systems.
Once information is obtained on all of these computers and appropriate discussions have occurred among involved parties, appropriate polices and procedures will be developed and implemented.