Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives

Exception to Session Logoff Policy


From: "Carroll, Tim" <Carrolltd () ROANESTATE EDU>
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2016 17:25:29 +0000

Good Morning,

I have a request from an Academic Organization to change the session logoff time from our standard 15 minutes of 
inactivity to 60 minutes to accommodate teaching in dedicated labs.  After researching for a standard I can find no 
clear consensus; although 15 minutes seems to be the most commonly adopted.  OMB M-06-16 (PDF) U.S. Presidential 
Memorandum Protection of Sensitive Agency Information recommends time-out after 30 minutes; NIST SP800-46 suggests 15 
minutes; Standards among Higher Education institutions vary widely from 1 to 30 minutes depending on where the computer 
is located and what data is being accessed.

My question is, what automatic logoff standard are you using and do you allow for exceptions?  What sources do you cite 
to support your decision if any?

Regards,

Tim
Tim Carroll
Assistant Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Information Technology
Roane State Community College
carrolltd () roanestate edu<mailto:carrolltd () roanestate edu>
865-882-4560


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