Box is a storage service that will enable Case Western Reserve University to store, access and share files securely. Because Box is hosted in the cloud, it can be reached anywhere, anytime and from different kinds of devices. It is not a file server under a desk or a flash drive that you carry; in fact, it can replace that server or flash drive. It also can be used to store restricted, confidential data, such as financial information. Box is the only approved platform for storing restricted data in the cloud at Case Western Reserve. 

Note: Restricted data in Box should only be accessed through the web interface. Examples of Restricted Data

Use Box to:

• Store data securely
• Share folders and files
• Edit content
• Collaborate with others

If You Have an Existing Box Account:

• If you already have a free account that is using your CWRU email i.e xyz123@case.edu, please do not close/deactivate the account. Please just open a ticket and request to be invited to Case Enterprise Box.
• If you already have a paid account that is using your CWRU email i.e xyz123@case.edu, please do not close/deactivate the account. Please contact Box Billing Department (billing@box.com) to have the account downgraded to a free account.  Then, you open a ticket and request to be invited to CWRU Enterprise Box.
• If you already have a free/paid Box account and you wish to keep the existing account, please enter a different email address for the account and remove your CWRU email i.e xyz123@case.edu from that account.

Access the Service

• Visit CWRU's Box at cwru.box.com

Common Issues/Questions

What kind of data can I store in Box?

1. Box should be used for a team’s, department’s, school’s or other group’s research or institutional data only. It is not intended for a person’s individual storage. Institutional data includes university business data collected and maintained by Case Western Reserve University, that includes student, faculty, staff, clinic and administrative data (i.e. human resources, financial, advancement, research administration, etc.). Research data includes all material, originally recorded by or for the investigator, commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings. Box has been certified for public, internal use, and restricted data. For more information on data types, see the UTech article Information Types and Sensitivity.

What is my quota in Box?

1. A 1 TB quota is applied to each user’s account in Box.

What if I need more storage than my quota allows?

1. Please contact the UTech Service Desk, who will put you in touch with the UTech storage team to discuss options and the best solution for your data in terms of features and expense.

What if I need more storage than my quota allows?

1. Please contact the UTech Service Desk, who will put you in touch with the UTech storage team to discuss options and the best solution for your data in terms of features and expense.

Why is Box storage no longer unlimited?

1. Offering unlimited storage to higher education institutions had become financially unsustainable for Box. The most recent contract renewal provides a fixed storage amount to the University. The university will incur significant additional costs if the institution as a whole goes above this quota.

What other options are available if Box is not appropriate for my data?

1. Data used for individual and non-collaborative activities are appropriate for Google My Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. Institutional, or collaborative, data that is not restricted is appropriate for Google Shared Drives and Microsoft SharePoint. UTech offers other on premise storage services for administrative and research data. For more information, contact the UTech Service Desk.

Who has access to the Box service?

1. Box is intended to be used by Case Western Reserve University faculty and staff to store administrative or research data. Faculty or staff who need access to Box can go to the Box account tool to create an account. If other members of the community need access to Box related to this type of use, such as a student worker assisting on a Box related project, a faculty or staff sponsor can contact the UTech Service Desk to request an access exception for those individuals.

What if I need an affiliate or student worker to have access to Box?

1. Contact the UTech Service Desk noting the non-faculty or staff person and the reason the person needs access to the Box service.

What is the process to move data out of Box and into another service?

1. All of the major cloud storage providers provide software that maps their service’s storage as a drive on your computer. Once installed, you can drag and drop files and folders between the services. See Box Drive, Google Drive, and OneDrive for the installers. Very large amounts of data may require special software and assistance. Please contact the UTech Service Desk for more information.