Whether you conduct a full Request for Proposals (RFP) or plan to use an open source product, you need to understand how potential vendors will protect university data before selecting a vendor. If your unit uses a non-university product or service to store, process, or transmit university data, you must ensure adequate data protection.
Evaluate and classify the Data
Evaluate the data that will be shared with the vendor and determine its data classification.
- Consult Examples of Sensitive Data by Classification Level to help you determine the appropriate classification.
- If your unit cannot determine the data classification, ask for an IA determination by filling out the Request for Third Party Vendor Data Protection Review.
This evaluation process is governed by the Third Party Vendor Security and Compliance Standard (DS-20) and is required whenever university data leaves the U-M IT environment.
If software is installed locally and never stores, transmits, or processes university data outside the U-M IT environment, this process does not apply. Instead, follow the guidance in Information Security Risk Management Standard (DS-13).
Follow Vendor Selection Process
Once the data classification is determined, follow this process:
- Engage Procurement Services. The easiest way to ensure a vendor meets U-M security and compliance requirements is to involve Procurement Services. They can help make sure that the appropriate legal documentation and review/assessment processes are completed.
- Include IT security and privacy in your vendor contract. Include the appropriate agreements to protect university data, usually starting with the U-M Data Protection Addendum (DPA). The DPA is required if a service provider will create, process, maintain, transmit, or store sensitive institutional data classified as Restricted, High, or Moderate. Specified alternatives to the DPA may be an option for data classified as Moderate. Additional agreements may be needed for specific data types.
- Use the UMSPSCQ to ensure vendors meet compliance requirements. The U-M Service Provider Security-Compliance Questionnaire (UMSPSCQ) is required whenever a service provider will create, process, maintain, transmit, or store sensitive institutional data classified as Restricted or High.
Ongoing Compliance
- Your unit's Security Unit Liaison is expected to coordinate (or designate someone to coordinate) efforts to meet the responsibilities outlined in Third Party Vendor Security and Compliance (DS-20).
- Reassess vendor security and compliance if there are changes of vendor, service, or classification of the data the vendor will be storing or accessing.
- Procurement Services, ITS Information Assurance, and other university units can help you at every step of the way.