Information on the Web also can be longer lasting than printed information. The question arose as to which employees have security passwords and what is their access to the Web servers. Inappropriate information is being placed on some Web pages thus compromising information security. For example, a posted Web page containing intellectual property material was placed on the Web so that colleagues of the principlal investigator could comment on the material. This material should never have been placed in such an open forum.
Search engines add another complex problem to the security of information.
The engines are capable of searching through directories and pulling from information that may no longer be linked and may be out of date. The retrieval of this information can provide inaccurate information to the individual retrieving the data. The university is caught in the middle. We are a public institution and we are supposed to provide information to the public, yet we have no or little control over the dissemination of the information. Individuals must learn to be cautious with data and learn to secure sensitive information.