Remote working

To ensure that all staff processing information remotely do so securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, the University has developed a Remote and Mobile Working Policy.

This policy has been written to ensure that staff are aware of their individual responsibilities around information security when working remotely. It applies to all staff who use or access University systems or information remotely either occasionally or as part of their contract. It applies to information in all formats, including manual records and electronic data.

'Remote working' means working off campus or outside of the secure University computing environment; this includes working while connected to the University Wi-Fi networks.

'Staff' includes anyone working on behalf of the University or given access to University data, eg visitors, students and subcontractors.

Remote working presents both significant risks and benefits for the University. Staff may have remote access to information held on secure campus servers, but without the physical protections available on campus and the network protections provided by firewalls and access controls there are much greater risks of unauthorised access to, and loss or destruction of, data. There are also greater risks posed by information 'in transit'.

Staff working remotely must also adhere to the University Records Management Policy (PDF-131KB) and records management guidelines. The 'master copy' of information should be stored at the University, not at home, because:

• Information stored on University's corporate systems is secure
• Anyone who needs to refer to the information can be sure it is the most up to date
• Enables quick response to requests under DP, FOI or the EIRs
• Loss of this information could have serious repercussions for the University
• If the official University record is held somewhere other than at the University, ie at an employee's home, it may not be able to be recovered, and this could affect business continuity

Advice on naming files, electronic and paper, in a way that is meaningful to colleagues and easy to electronically order and retrieve is given in Naming of files and folders in the Records Management section.