Dear UTA Students, Faculty, and Staff,
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In December 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott directed all state agencies to develop a prohibited technologies security policy in response to a ban of the video-sharing application TikTok. To comply, UTA developed its Prohibited Technologies Security Policy, which includes new prohibited technologies as of Jan. 31, 2025.
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The prohibited technologies include:
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- Alipay
- ByteDance Ltd.
- CamScanner
- DeepSeek
- Kaspersky
- Lemon8
- Moomoo
- QQ Wallet
- RedNote
- SHAREit
- Tencent Holdings Ltd.
- Tiger Brokers
- TikTok
- VMate
- WeBull
- WeChat
- WeChat Pay
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WPS Office
- Any subsidiary or affiliate of an entity listed above
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| Prohibited Hardware/Equipment/Manufacturers
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- Dahua Technology Company
- Huawei Technologies Company
- Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company
- Hytera Communications Corporation
- SZ DJI Technology Company
- ZTE Corporation
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Any subsidiary or affiliate of an entity listed above
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How does the new policy affect me?
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The model security plan provides guidance on University-owned devices; personal devices belonging to faculty, staff, and students; and locations where sensitive information could be accessed.
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Excluding specific approved exceptions, the use or download of these listed applications or technologies is prohibited on all University-owned devices, including cellphones, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, and other internet-capable devices.
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Employees and contractors may not install or operate prohibited applications or technologies on any personal device that is also used to conduct University business, in accordance with UTA’s Acceptable Use Policy. University business includes accessing any University-owned data, applications, email accounts, nonpublic-facing communications, state email, VoIP, SMS, video conferencing, CAPPS, Texas.gov, and any other state databases or applications. For example, if you check your UTA employee email account on a personal device, you cannot download prohibited technologies to that device.
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Unauthorized devices such as personal cellphones, tablets, or laptops may not enter sensitive locations, which includes any electronic meeting labeled as a sensitive location. A sensitive location is any location, physical or digital, that is used to discuss confidential or controlled information, as defined by the Information Security Office’s Data Classification Standard.
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The University is taking these important steps to help address vulnerabilities presented by the use of these technologies on personal and state-issued devices. These measures help protect both information contained in the University’s network and our critical infrastructure from potential international government surveillance risks.
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What if I need to use a prohibited technology for research, course instruction, or class work?
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The governor’s directive allows for exceptions to the policy to be directed by the agency head. Exceptions to the policy may be considered when the use of prohibited technologies is required for a specific business need. The University has requested exceptions for teaching and research, which are still pending with the University of Texas System.
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We are appreciative of the UTA community’s understanding and flexibility as we work through these changes. For questions regarding the University’s new standard on prohibited technologies, please contact the Information Security Office at security@uta.edu.
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Cheryl Nifong
Chief Information Security Officer
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Deepika Chalemela
Chief Information Officer
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The University of Texas at Arlington
701 S. Nedderman Drive | Arlington, TX 76019 US
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