University cybersafety officials announced changes this week to the MySpace file storage and sharing site on MyUCDavis, after routine audits revealed that some people had placed Social Security numbers and-or driver’s license numbers in public folders.

The changes highlight the public and private settings for file storage, and alert users when they move files to a shared space. (UC Davis’ MySpace is not to be confused with the MySpace social networking site.)

UC Davis’ MySpace, by default, allows unrestricted access to a user’s primary folder and his or her public folder. Files stored in these folders are accessible by MySpace users anywhere in the world and by anyone using the underlying Andrew File System client server.

Federal and state law and university policy prohibit placement of personal identity information in folders with unrestricted public access. Therefore, MySpace users are advised to review their file sharing settings and adjust them accordingly, or move any files that may contain personal identity information to private folders.