FERPA Q&A

Q: What should I do if I accidentally share a student’s private information with another student?

A: Unfortunately, even when we are careful, privacy breaches can happen. For example, mistyping a student’s email address can result in inadvertently sharing private data. If this happens, you should email security@umn.edu to report the incident. For more information, see the Information Security policy.

To avoid the most common mistakes, follow these tips:

• Always double check the recipients of your email before hitting send.
• Review attachments before sending.
• Take care with google documents and spreadsheets to only share them with the correct people.
• Keep google group membership up to date to ensure the right audience receives your information.
• Keep your laptop, smartphone, and tablets somewhere safe when they are not in use to avoid theft.

There are many additional security resources and tips on Secure U.