A new feature in Box Drive, “Mark for Offline” (MfO), has been approved by the UDMC as a replacement for current Box “Sync” functionality which is expected to be retired by the end of 2019. Note: Box Drive carries the same data classification approvals as Box itself.
NOTE: Box is no longer maintained by Indiana University. Information here may no longer be accurate, and links may no longer be available or reliable.
While both Box Sync and Box Drive MfO automate the download of entire folders to local machines, significant data management improvements are found with MfO.
- Sync indiscriminately downloads folders/files onto users’ local machines regardless of users’ needs or type of Box account; in contrast...
- MfO requires users to opt-in for the offline use of each individual folder; and
- MfO is not approved for Box Health Data Accounts (BHDA) or Box Entrusted Data Accounts (BEDA). This activity will be monitored by System Administrators.
The number of files stored needlessly or unintentionally on local machines will likely be reduced once users migrate off Sync. This should in-turn result in:
- greater alignment with IU Policy DM-01;
- reduced risk of data compromises; and
- a step forward for privacy at IU.