Information Technology at Purdue

Searching for potentially sensitive data

ITaP offers a technical tool to assist you in searching for potentially sensitive data. This tool is designed for PC’s using Windows XP operating system only. ITaP recommends you search your workstation with this tool on a monthly basis to ensure compliance of new University security measures designed to prevent theft of sensitive data. The documentation below will guide you thru each step of this tool, from beginning to end.

Batch Scanning Utility Directions, documents the process of downloading the tool and executing it on a Windows workstation. This first phase will detail locations of files that may potentially contain sensitive data and offer the option to print the results.

• Batch Scanning Utility Directions

The scanmod.bat utility creates a list of names and paths of some filenames with the extensions .doc, .pdf, .xls, .mdb, .bqy, .ppt, .pst, and .csv that are stored on the C: drive of your workstation. It does not in any way attempt to analyze their content for any sensitive content, this is left up to the operator. Even if scanmod.bat returns no files, this does not guarantee your workstation does not have sensitive data, since certain file types that could contain sensitive information (for example .tmp, .bak, .rtf, .dbf, .html, .htm and .txt) are excluded from the scan.

• Download Scanmod

ITaP recommends you first evaluate whether or not the returned data needs to be, or should be, kept. For files to be deleted, follow the Deleting a File after Scan documentation. This phase documents for you, how you may delete a file the first phase scan returned.

• Deleting a File after Scan

For files to be moved, follow the Moving Files after Scan documentation. This documents for you, in a final phase, how you may access and thus move, rather than delete the files the first phase scan returned. This phase can be completed several different ways and ITaP has chosen the most simple and understandable way for you to execute these steps.

• Moving Files after Scan

When following the documented steps above, you should be able to successfully complete this phase without engaging technical support. However, if you do need support, you are welcome to contact the ITaP Customer Service Center by phone (44000) to request assistance.