About IT Services' Office of Information Assurance

UC San Diego supports an IT environment that adheres to sound principles of security.

The Office of Information Assurance is the campus office charged with ensuring the secure handling, availability, and confidentiality of all forms of information at UC San Diego.

In addition to the traditional technical aspects of "cybersecurity," we focus on people, technology, and processes (including paper!) to reduce the risk of theft or damage to University data, and that the privacy of our community members is protected while maintaining the open collaborative environment that is the hallmark of a research institution. Our goal is to go beyond the strict minimums of legal and policy compliance, and to remain agile and vigilant in the face of a rapidly evolving campus environment.

• Find out what services Information Assurance offers
• Read user guides to help you secure your computer and data
• Read IT security policies and guidelines

We strive to foster an environment that supports:

• Confidentiality: meaning our computing system’s assets can be read only by authorized parties.
• Integrity: meaning the assets can only be modified or deleted by authorized parties or in authorized ways.
• Availability: meaning the assets are accessible to the authorized parties in a timely manner.

We accomplish this through the following guiding principles:

• Ensure the physical security of the data and telecommunications centers and resources.
• Regulate authorized access to resources through security measures such as user IDs, passwords, and digital certificates.
• Implement auditable authorization processes that adhere to University policies.
• Provide security awareness training and resources.
• Inform Departmental Security Administrators (DSAs) and system/data custodians about access rules and security violations.