Spirion is an application that helps end users locate restricted data (a.k.a. personal identifying information) on a machine. The application searches selected areas of the computer for restricted information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, etc. that may exist in files, emails, network drives, databases. Once the information is found, remediation steps, such as secure deletion or moving to a safer location, can be taken.
Spirion is most effective when used on a client-server model. The client application is installed on an endpoint, configured to communicate with a management console that runs on a server. A standalone application is also available but rarely used. Spirion is centrally funded and available to UW Madison faculty and staff at no cost.
Department IT
If your department is not using Spirion currently, you will need to request an installer customized for your department. This allows the client software to communicate with the central console under your department name, or “tag”. You can use this tag to initiate scans of the entire department, or a selected group of computers within your department. You can also view results through the console.
Faculty and Staff
Work computers
Check with your department IT administrator before installing Spirion on your work computer.
Personal or home computers
Please visit the Campus Software Library (requires UW NetID) for a standalone version of Spirion.