Box Storage Security

The University of Arizona prides itself on the wide collaboration efforts that help researchers, faculty, and staff achieve ground breaking innovation and campus wide initiatives. Box Enterprise is a widely used cloud platform that allows various individuals and teams from across campus to not only store data and documents, but to share with others who may need to contribute.

While data and documents uploaded to Box folders are secured by University two-factor authentication, there are some considerations when sharing a Box folder or file to a public space.

• Personal Invites – Users have the ability to share a Box folder by sending a personal invitation granting individuals access to specific folders or files. This is the most secure way to share your information and safeguard data from public view. 
• Broadly Shared Links – While the ability to share information on a broad scale can benefit a team, caution should be used to not "publicly" share Box links or create an "open" Box link. Malicious programs exist that can search for these open access points, allowing for data to unintentionally be shared.
• Website Links – Creating a public or "open" Box link and adding it to a website where others outside the intended group can retrieve it, should be avoided. Websites that can be indexed by Google web search could inadvertently provide access to individuals outside of your area. 
• Configuration Information – The default access for a shared Box folder and files should always be set to "people in your company," to reduce accidental exposure of data to the public. 

Research into programs that can provide the same benefits as Box Enterprise with greater access security is an ongoing process. Data currently stored in Box can remain safe if proper folder permissions are maintained.

Please ensure that you are running the most recent version of Box if it is installed on your device. If you have questions or need additional assistance, contact 24/7 IT Support at (520) 626-8324.