The rapid growth of "cloud" computing services, which allow users to store information online, has prompted the University of Otago to develop a policy to make staff aware of the risks associated with using the "cloud".
The university's information technology services (ITS) strategy and planning manager, Tracy Huntleigh-Smith, said the policy, which was in draft form, would inform staff about the security risks associated with storing documents on websites offering "cloud" services, such as Office365, Gmail and Dropbox.
The development of the policy was prompted by the recent growth in cloud-based storage and software options, Ms Huntleigh-Smith said.
"Our aim is to make sure that when you are storing university information or transmitting it, you are being responsible and you are aware of the security issues."
The policy would also give guidance about the types of information which should and should not be stored in the cloud.
"If it's a letter to your mum, you'd be happy to have it stored in the 'cloud'. If it's a file about university security, you'd only ever keep it on a University of Otago secure storage site," she said.
Staff members needed to be cautious, as you could not be certain who could access information once it had been stored online, she said.
ITS's draft "Cloud Computing" policy also raised concerns about privacy and "intellectual property, copyright, trademarks or patents" being compromised.
The policy states: "It is the responsibility of the staff member storing the data to ensure that physical and logical security measures adequately protect the information being stored."
The university is seeking feedback from staff on its draft policy.