HiPerGator Achieves HITRUST Certification

HiPerGator joins an elite group of university supercomputers that has earned the HITRUST r2 certification. HITRUST certification confirms that UF meets all international security and compliance requirements for data protection and can process large amounts of sensitive data and personal information, including patient health information (PHI). To set up a project on HiPerGator that works with PHI, researchers must still adhere to all policies and procedures listed on this webpage.

HITRUST certification is a way for universities, scientific organizations, and others to demonstrate that specific systems within their environment meet the framework’s rigorous standards and requirements. To achieve certification, independent assessors perform extensive testing and verification of hardware systems, networks, software, procedures, and processes to ensure that the system operates as described in documentation and policies. The HITRUST r2 assessment level is the most strenous review available and provides the highest level of assurance for organizations to manage their risk.

HiPerGator went online in 2013 for research on open data. The HiPerGator-RV enclave earned NIST 800-171 and NIST 800-53 compliance in 2017. Anyone with questions about UF’s HITRUST certification may contact Research Computing Director Dr. Erik Deumens.

ChatGPT: Guidelines for Campus Usage

Responses provided by the ChatGPT application can save time, but beware: the data you input or ask the app to develop may be retained and provided as responses to other users. ChatGPT users have very limited control over its use of the data provided to the app, and its parent company–OpenAI–does not currently offer a process to amend or delete entries submitted. UF’s Privacy Office and the UF Information Security Office want everyone in the Gator community to understand that putting data into ChatGPT or a similar service is equivalent to disclosing the data to the public.

ChatGPT is currently being assessed for regulatory concerns related to privacy and confidentiality of data. University of Florida data classified as sensitive or restricted is not approved for use with ChatGPT. Sensitive and restricted data includes:

Social Security Numbers
Education Records
Employee Data
Credit Card Numbers
Protected Health Information
Human Subject Research Data
Unpublished Research Data
Personally Identifiable Information

An assessment of ChatGPT has been added to the university’s technology solutions website: https://irm.ufl.edu/fast-path-solutions/items/chatgpt.html. Remember that all faculty, staff, and students share the responsibility of keeping UF information secure. Visit the Office of Privacy website for additional information on using ChatGPT.