Spirion Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Spirion?

  Spirion is a program that searches your computer for Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as credit card numbers and social security numbers, and helps you to manage them. By identifying and securing this type of information we can reduce the risk of identity theft.

• Why is Weber State University using Spirion?

  The University's executive management has made the protection and removal of sensitive data a priority for the University. WSU is using Spirion to proactively locate and secure sensitive data on computer and server hard drives to ensure that it is not left vulnerable to potential identity theft.

• Am I required to install Spirion?

  The President's Counsel required everyone to install and use the Spirion software once in 2014.

• What information does Spirion locate?

  Spirion is a software tool used by higher education institutions to locate sensitive information. WSU is only interested in Social Security and Credit Card Numbers. 

• What actions can be taken when Spirion locates Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?

  PII, once found, can be Shredded, Scrubbed, Secured, Quarantined, Ignored, or Recycled.

• Who sees the results of a scan?

  Scan results can be seen by you and are sent to a secure server where they may be viewed by an Information Security Administrator for the purpose of validating that the information has been protected. Administrators will only be able to see the file location and type. The actual contents of the file cannot be seen by anyone but you. If you have any questions on how to interpret the search results contact the Service Desk for support. 

• How much will Spirion cost?

  University faculty and staff can use Spirion free, only on university-owned systems.

• Can I use this on my personal computer that is not owned by Weber State University?

  Our license with Spirion does not allow installation on non-WSU owned computers.