As part of the university's Data Loss Prevention initiative, Information Technology has partnered with the UMass President's Office and Identity Finder, LLC to bring the Identity Finder software to all university employees.
Identity Finder is a program that gives users the ability to find and protect sensitive data (i.e. Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, passport, and driver license) on desktops, laptops, servers, and other media.
Identity Finder reduces the risk of data leakage and identity theft by discovering and securing sensitive information across university owned computers. Built-in tools are included to shred and scrub (redact) vulnerable data in order to protect UMass Lowell's constituents from data loss caused by spyware, viruses, lost or stolen laptops, and hackers. More importantly, it ensures you can take appropriate steps in case of a security breach and help you comply with University policy, state, and federal legislation.
Identity Finder is available for Windows and Macintosh computers.
Campus Sponsorship
The Executive Cabinet and Provost Council have approved the deployment of Identity Finder on university owned computers to mitigate risk due to unauthorized data exposure or security breach.
How do I obtain Identity Finder?
Information Technology has "pushed" a customized version of Identity Finder (Windows only) to systems that are managed by our KACE system management suite. Future updates will also be managed by KACE. For Macintosh computers, we are in the process of packaging the Identity Finder software with our CASPER system management suite. Please contact IT Service Desk for an appointment if your system is not managed by CASPER and you would like a copy of the Identity Finder software.
What will Identity Finder search on my computer?
Although Identity Finder has the capability of searching for much more, during the first phase of deployment, it will only scan for: Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Numbers, Bank Account, Passbook Information, and Driver's License Numbers.
Does the employee initiate the scan, or will IT do it?
It is recommended the employee initiates a scan as soon as the software is available and instructions are provided on this website. After thirty days, IT will initiate a scan automatically if a scan has not been performed.