Think Inside the Box! (with Box Secure Storage)

Did you know that as a member of the University of Minnesota community, you have free access to a storage service called Box Secure Storage? Box is a secure, cloud-based, commercial file storage, sharing, and collaboration service that is free to University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff. Box allows users who work with sensitive information to securely store and share documents with collaborators.

About Box

Similar to Google Drive, Box is a secure, cloud-based storage service.

Box doesn’t require additional login information, so you can simply sign in with your University Internet ID and password and authenticate with Duo Security. Most common file types are compatible with Box, including  Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and many image, video, and audio formats. A complete list can be found on the Box Secure Storage support site. Please note: Users have unlimited storage space in Box, but individual files need to be less than 15GB in size.

One of the main perks of using Box is its commitment to privacy. Box provides a high level of control over the privacy of your files. For example, you can decide who can view and open specific folders and files, as well as who can edit and upload documents. You can even password-protect individual files and set expiration dates for shared folders to ensure the privacy of your information. Learn more about using Box.

Who should use Box?

Box is ideal for individuals and departments who work with sensitive information on a regular basis and is the recommended storage service for members of the University’s medical community. Box supports a number of compliance standards, which is necessary for medical records, as well as student financial data, and several other types of sensitive information. See the complete list of laws and regulations that Box complies with.

Key Features

• Security: Includes encryption, activity logging, Duo Two-Factor Authentication, and access controls such as “view-only” access. The University’s implementation of Box Secure Storage is specifically designed to be compliant with HIPAA and security standards for private-highly restricted data.

• Collaboration: Invite anyone to view, edit and upload files with options for real-time and offline editing. Box Secure Storage automatically saves files, and offers options for version history.

• File Access: Box Secure Storage provides unlimited storage capacity. Upload and access files via the web interface or via Box Sync, which allows you to edit Box files offline on your secure local device. Devices using Box Sync must use encryption, a firewall and antivirus software.

• Edit Files Without Download: With Box Secure Storage, you can securely edit files with Microsoft Office online or use Box Edit to open files directly from the Box web interface with local web applications.