What is happening?
For several years, the university has been using the application Dell Endpoint Encryption (DEE) to encrypt computers and keep OU data safe. Our licensing for this software has expired, and there are now better ways to manage encryption using our enterprise endpoint management tools. In order to move forward, OU IT must remove all copies of Dell Endpoint Encryption from university computers. OU IT will administratively remove DEE from devices on January 31, 2024.
What do I need to do?
- If you have removable media (USB thumb drive, external hard drive) that has been encrypted with DEE, please backup your data to an alternate location (e.g. OneDrive) as removal of DEE could result in its loss.
- After backing up data, users can uninstall DEE on their own, and are encouraged to do so now.
How can I complete these actions?
Need OU IT assistance?
If you have questions or would like help for any reason (especially removable media users), please contact your Mission Support team: https://link.ou.edu/devicesupport.
In most cases, the uninstall process is simple and can be performed by users on their own. The greatest risk is for users who have used DEE to encrypt removable media devices, such as USB thumb drives and external hard drives. It is very important for users to copy data from removable media sources before uninstalling DEE. If removable media data isn’t backed up first, it could become permanently unusable. All university faculty and staff are encouraged to use OneDrive for file storage and secure data backup. OneDrive is available to all employees, is safer than removable media, is approved for use with most datatypes, and will save you from future headaches associated with removable media use.