Personal identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) are both sensitive and one must understand who is receiving this information.

When sharing information, the sender and receiver have the responsibility to respect and protect the individual’s privacy. Only share information legally and on a need-to-know basis.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) helps protect PHI and PII with safeguards and effective privacy rules.

Follow these technical safeguards for better protection:

• Double check who you are sending an email to
• Use OneDrive when storing sensitive files
• Choose which applications you use wisely as they do not all comply with HIPAA standards
• Know your surroundings and be aware of who you are talking to – verify that a contact is CU personnel before sharing any sensitive information

For more tips about this, visit the Office of Information Security blog post.