IHL Audit of Southern Miss - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Aug 12, 2005

IHL Audit of Southern Miss

Date: Aug 12, 2005

Curious wrote:

Today a friend of mine mentioned they heard that the IHL will be conducting an IT audit at Southern Miss around the end of the year or early next year to look at IT policy and procedures with a focus on SACS related information. What is an IT audit and what does mean to me? Can anyone help with this?

IT audit refers to information technology. My guess is IHL will be examining IT operations, policies, procedures, control issues, and risks from the functional (end user) as well as the technical (iTech, the campus IT organization) perspective.

Date: Aug 12, 2005

Frequently IT audits scan networks or systems for unlicenses or illegal software. Other types of IT audits look for security problems. From what you describe, it may just be an audit of IT policies & procedures.

Everyone is aware that for a while this year, it was possible to get some "protected" information out of the Ole Miss administrative system with a simple Google search. IHL may be a bit sensitive to that. Remember, we have to keep collegiate systems as tight & protected as the "fireproof records vault" that SACS used to require for admissions offices.

But don't take chances. If you have pirated or questionable software on a university PC, uninstall it. And clean up all signs it was ever there. Here's a good tool to have if you're professionally paranoid.

Date: Aug 12, 2005

Looks to me like they want to try to get the system all shipshape before the full-blown SACS visit next year. I can't interpret what this means (if anything) for the issues that need to be addressed before then.

Date: Aug 12, 2005

you folks think the original post is accurate?

Date: Aug 12, 2005

sounds plausible to me. our IT environment is a mess.