Workstation Management

Objective: 

The Workstation Management Policy defines configuration and maintenance requirements for the management of university and auxiliary-owned workstations. 

Definitions:

Workstations: Refers to desktops, laptops (notebook), and devices running supported workstation operating systems including secondary or virtualized supported workstation operating systems. Any university-owned workstation or any university approved cloud-hosted workstation is in scope for compliance with this directive even if no longer in use for its intended purpose.

Common Workstations: Refers to workstations that do not meet the High-Risk threshold. 

High-Risk Workstations A workstation is high risk when it enables the authentication of accounts with permissions for:

• Manipulating Level 1 data
• Modifying critical infrastructure.

A workstation is also high risk when it locally stores/processes/accesses Critical Data or Severe Risk Level 1 Data (as defined below)

Critical Data: “Critical data” includes protected Level 1 information in such quantities as to require notification of a government entity in the event of a breach (e.g. over 500 records under HIPAA), or information classified as protected Level 1 due to severe risk, regardless of the record count. Examples of critical data include patient health information, student financial information, and payment information. See the Sensitive Data Policy for more information.  SF State’s Information Security Office is responsible for determining the classification of a workstation when questions arise.   

Severe Risk Level 1 Information: Information whose unauthorized use, access, disclosure, acquisition, modification, loss, or deletion could result in severe damage to the CSU, its students, employees, or customers. Severe risk includes but is not limited to:  financial loss, damage to the CSU’s reputation, and legal action.

Statement: 

The Workstation Management policy covers all University-owned workstations used to access or store SF State data. Workstation management should be implemented using an automated tool according to timelines and criticalities established in workstation security guidelines.   Specific criteria pertaining to common and high risk  workstations must be referenced when assessing policy compliance.  

High Risk workstation management requires the use of a secure configuration standard checklist that may be generated using a baseline analyzer tool.  SF State maintains a centrally managed security baseline analyzer tool.  This tool is available for use by all of the distributed IT support teams.  Each distributed IT support team is responsible for documenting their internal process with respect to how they meet this requirement which includes the maintenance of a High Risk Workstation inventory.

Implementation:

Responsibility for implementing this policy rests with Information Technology (IT) units across campus. Submit any apparent violation to the appropriate administrative authority (vice president, dean, director, department, or program chair) or to service@sfsu.edu. Any exceptions to this policy must be documented using the information security risk acceptance process, approved at a minimum by the appropriate Vice President, and subsequently reviewed by the Information Security Officer.

Non-Compliance:

Noncompliance with applicable policies and/or practices may result in suspension of network and systems access privileges. In addition, disciplinary action may be applicable under other University policies, guidelines, implementing procedures, or collective bargaining agreements.

Searchable Words:

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