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Computer Information

Device Encryption

The privacy and security of the protected health information (PHI) governed by federal HIPAA law and monitored by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), is of critical importance to the entire OU Health Sciences Center community. 

Therefore, your college, in coordination with the Senior Vice President and Provost’s Office and Information Technology, requires students to participate in a mandatory Device Security Clinic that MUST be completed prior to the start of your academic program.

What this means for you:  All laptop computers used for university related activities, including academic course work, testing, classroom notes, HSC email, and clinical or research activities MUST complete a Device Security Clinic Prior to their use with any HSC resources. 

Please note: It is the students responsibility to ensure their device is encrypted, returned, and working Prior to the start of classes. Please plan accordingly. 

The Device Security Clinic is in the David L. Boren Student Union and will provide, at no cost to you, whole-disk and removable media encryption, anti-virus, and other security tools needed to protect your devices and the data they may contain. 

Portable devices used for University business must be encrypted to protect data from unauthorized disclosure if the device is lost or stolen.  Portable devices will need to be encrypted by OUHSC IT.  

For help with device encryption please contact IT at 405-271-2203.

Recommended Laptops

The University strongly recommends the purchase of a new laptop computer, if possible, or the use of an existing computer no more than 1-2 years old in order to have the best possible experience with the required security tools and your academic, clinical, or research activities. Please check with HSC Office of Financial Aid about the applicability of available financial aid funds for a computer purchase.  It is your responsibility to ensure that your laptop is compatible with the required security tools in order to participate in your program’s curriculum.

The following laptop specifications are strongly recommended by OUHSC Information Technology:

Platform*

MacOS

Microsoft Windows

Operating System

Minimum OS: MacOS 10.11 el Capitan

[standard, no additional cost on Macs]

Minimum OS: Windows 10Education(notHome) edition [available through our license at no additional cost to enrolled students]

Specifications

  • i5 or i7 Intel™ Processor
  • 13-inch display
  • Minimum 8GB RAM or greater
  • Minimum 250GB SSD Hard Drive

Note: Video memory and Wireless are standard on MacOS

  • Business-class (such as the Dell Latitude Series)
  • i5 or i7 Intel™ Processor (avoid the “M” processor)
  • 13-15 inch display
  • Minimum 8GB RAM or greater
  • Minimum 250GB SSD Hard Drive
  • 256MB Video Memory
  • 802.11b/g Wireless

Recommended Example Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro

  • Either older 2.7GHz processor, or newer 2.0GHz processor “space gray” models; TouchBar models are not recommended
  • Minimum 13-inch display
  • Minimum 8GB RAM
  • Minimum 250GB SSD Hard Drive

Purchase at educational discount at http://apple.com/edu/ouhsc

Dell Latitude 5480

  • Windows 10 Education (available at no additional cost to enrolled students at https://it.ouhsc.edu/studentservices/)
  • Minimum 13-inch display
  • Minimum 8GB RAM
  • Minimum 250GB SSD Hard Drive

Purchase at educational discount at

http://dell.com/dellu/ouhsc

Protecting your investment

Consider protective device such as cases, skins, keyboard covers; always carry your laptop in a protective bag or backpack.

Manufactures offer 1 year warranties against mechanical failure, but accidental damage (very common: spills, dropped, cracked screen, etc.) are not covered without an additional warranty the specifically covers this cost. Consider an extended warranty from either Dell (Windows) or 3rd-party providers like SafeWare.

*Note: The OUHSC security suite is only supported on MacOS and certain versions of Windows OS computers; it cannot be used on Linux or other operating systems.

QUESTIONS? Please contact the IT Service Desk at 405.271.2203 (888.435.7486) or servicedesk@ouhsc.edu with questions or requests for additional information.

SOFTWARE

Students MUST have the following software:

1. Microsoft Office (2011, 2013 or 2016),* which includes the following programs: 

  • MS Word for word processing
  • MS Excel for spreadsheets
  • MS PowerPoint for presentations

2. Antivirus software**

3. Mozilla Firefox

4. Adobe Acrobat Reader

5. VLC Media Player

6. Respondus LockDown Browser for online exams.

MS Office is available FREE OF CHARGE to current OUHSC students. 

** Antivirus software that is compatible with the encryption suite will be provided at the time the device is encrypted.

If you have questions about any of the above information, you can contact OUHSC IT by visiting help.ouhsc.edu or OUHSC Service Desk.   

Removing Device Encryption

Graduating students - There are several steps that you must take in order to remove the OUHSC security suite and encryption from your computer.

These steps are required to remove HSC management of your computer and return it back to your full control. The continued presence of the HSC security suite on your computer after graduation could result in service interruption, system configuration conflicts, and a loss of access to your data. 

 To complete decryption and software removal from your computer, each of the following steps must be performed in order.

1. Apply for graduation with the Office of Admissions & Records. Information Technology will verify this prior to the decryption and software removal process.

2. After you have applied for graduation, complete an online form available at http://itservices.ouhsc.edu (select the Service Catalog link, and look for HSC Student Encryption Removal Request in the Network Services section- bullet below). 

3. The IT Service Desk will begin a remote decryption procedure and contact you by email with specific instructions on how to ensure your computer has received the decryption task and on how to verify that your computer has been decrypted. 

4. Once decryption is complete, IT Service Desk staff must remove the security software from your computer. This can be completed at any time after your computer has been decrypted by scheduling a 30-minute while-you-wait appointment with the IT Service Desk (link will be provided in the email notification you receive from your request when decryption has been started).  Please read and follow instructions from the IT Service Desk closely.

If at any time in the process you need assistance, the IT Service Desk has offered to prioritize any graduation/decryption-related issue. You may contact them in the David L. Boren Student Union, at servicedesk@ouhsc.edu, or by calling 405.271.2203.