Privacy & Security and the UG
We work from home or on the train, we are connected to the internet 24/7, and we share a lot of information with each other for study and research purposes. We simply do all this, often without thinking about how safe it is and whether it is permitted. Could someone be looking over your shoulder, or could malicious parties be interested in your research data? And is it even necessary to store all these personal data of a student?
Just like other companies and government organizations, the UG must comply with a variety of measures in the field of privacy and data security.
Privacy & Security maturity programme
The maturity programme for Privacy & Security was initiated to help prevent cybercrime and digital attacks from outside. The UG has deliberately opted to embed privacy and security in one single programme. After all, actions or risks in the field of security also impact privacy. The aim of the programme is to increase maturity.
More information
More about Privacy
Personal data
The UG processes a lot of personal data, for example from students, staff members, alumni and test subjects. The UG would be unable to provide teaching and research without processing personal data. In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UG must handle all processed personal data with care. This is also known as personal data protection.
The Board of the University has established a policy regarding the protection of personal data and included this in:
More about Security
How do we protect your data?
The University is taking measures throughout the UG network to protect both the systems and your data against threats from outside.
What measures is the UG taking?
The UG network has an open character with a view to its duties of teaching and research. However, your information, personal data, and systems have to be properly protected. We do this in many ways, from using virus scanners to 24/7 monitoring. You can also take several measures yourself.
What can you do?
It starts with conscious behaviour. About how you handle your devices, what software and apps you use, and then how you handle the information you collect, edit, share, and store. We have put together ten tips to help you make your online behaviour safer.
Acceptable Use Policy
The UG has a set of IT user rules in place for your safety, entitled the ‘Acceptable Use Policy of the University of Groningen for University Computer Systems’. These rules apply to you as a user, but also to the IT managers. They contain information about how to use your UG account safely and the conditions that all users must meet, for example, that you have to keep your own password secret and that you cannot use other people’s accounts.
Problems? Suspicions of misuse?
Contact the UG Security Team via security.cit rug.nl if you suspect misuse, even if it concerns a colleague or fellow student. The Security Team will be happy to help you.
More information about BauWatch
Background
Since the fall of 2023, the facades of the University Library and subsequently the monumental Academy building have been damaged several times by graffiti and windows of these buildings have been smashed several times. The cost of repairing this damage are substantial. Moreover, the damage to the facade of the academy building is very difficult to repair because it consists of fragile bricks.
In April 2024, after another series of substantial damages, the RUG decided to set up camera masts from BauWatch with which the aforementioned buildings will be surveillance. The purpose of this is to secure those buildings and reduce the risk of further damage. This risk is currently high due to demonstrations underway against the university's stance on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The slogans used to deface the buildings show a clear relationship to that issue. As long as this risk is high, the RUG wants to maintain camera surveillance on the academy building and the university library.
Data protection impact assessment
The cameras on the masts are focused on the front facades of the University Library and the Academy building. Also, several meters of the area in front of the facades are in view. As a result, only a small portion of the bicycle parking lot on Broerplein comes in the picture. Other parts of the square or the buildings on the square are not filmed. This results in as few people as possible being filmed. After all, the goal is to protect the university buildings.
The images from the cameras are analyzed by BauWatch using software. The software provides notifications in case of suspicious situations/movements registered on the images. The images are viewed only after such notification by a BauWatch employee, who determines how to act. Thus the doormen of the RUG can be alerted to investigate the situation or in case of obvious criminal behavior, the police can be reported. The images are also visible to a limited number of RUG employees in charge of security of the buildings. The images are retained for a maximum of 28 days after capture. The use of the camera masts is temporary and will be discontinued as soon as the risk of damage to the RUG buildings on the Broerplein is limited.
The camera surveillance is effective: since the installation of the masts, no new damages. With the above measures, the privacy impact of camera surveillance on students and employees is limited. Moreover, although the area that is being filmed may be publicly accessible, it is not for recreation etcetera. In the opinion of the RUG, the deployment of the camera masts therefore therefore meets the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity.
For more information about the cameras, please contact privacy rug.nl
| Last modified: | 02 April 2025 2.52 p.m. |