Security and Privacy Information

Honorlock is ASU’s proctoring solution for fully online (iCourse and oCourse) classes.  It is a multifaceted solution that works with a lightweight browser plugin to the Google Chrome browser. This plugin can be installed and removed with one click. Students may remove it between exams.

ASU students and faculty share a responsibility to promote academic honesty and to protect the quality of an ASU degree.

The nature of online classes presents unique learning opportunities as well as unique challenges. Among the challenges is creating a level playing field when assessing student work. Honest students can be impacted by students who cheat; grade breakpoints may shift, resulting in lower grades for honest students.

Proctoring solutions are one tool to help ensure that students do not gain unfair advantage during high-stakes exams.  These resources help to paint a clear picture regarding the Honorlock tool and to correct a lot of the misinformation present on the web. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does Honorlock sell my data or monetize my data to third parties outside of my school or university?

   1. No. Honorlock will never sell or monetize your data. They only share your data with your ASU instructor.

2. What data does Honorlock collect from students using the service?

   1. Student information (i.e. student name, course number, exam name. You will be asked to provide a copy of your student ID). This information is synced with your school’s learning management system (Canvas).
   2. During the exam, Honorlock collects video recordings that include webcam, desktop activity and audio recording.
   3. Exam and web pages visited by a student during an examination.

3. How long does Honorlock keep my data?

   1. The standard retention period for student data is 365 days. Student data is deleted after this retention period. Student data is deleted after the standard retention period, unless an extension is requested by ASU as part of an investigation into an academic integrity violation or a grade challenge.

4. Does Honorlock have control of my computer or my mobile phone?

   1. No. Honorlock uses a Chrome browser extension that uses AI to detect the presence of faces in your camera, and voices. A student will have to install the browser extension to take an examination. The student can delete the browser extension following the examination. The Honorlock extension only has access to data within your browser while the extension is installed and you are in the process of taking an Honorlock enabled exam.
   2. Honorlock does not have access or the ability to control secondary devices such as mobile phones and other electronic devices on your network.

5. Is Honorlock tracking my online activities and watching me when I am not taking a proctored exam?

   1. No. Honorlock is only proctoring your school’s online exams via the Chrome browser extension. You are free to delete the Chrome browser extension immediately following a proctored exam. The extension will not track any activity or record any data unless you are taking an exam and logged into your school’s LMS.

6. Where is my data stored and how well is my data protected?

   1. All data in transit and data at rest is encrypted and stored within Honorlock’s private cloud in an Amazon (AWS) data center. Amazon’s data centers are SOC 3 certified, U.S. Privacy Shield, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant.

7. Does Honorlock use facial recognition to verify my identity?

   1. No. Honorlock uses rudimentary facial detection to identify whether a single human face is visible to the webcam throughout the exam.  Although the software does check for facial elements, it does not store any facial data or match the face to a database. If no face is detected, or if multiple faces are detected, the AI will flag the incident and a human proctor may intervene. Faculty will have the ability to reference the still images and/or video at their own discretion after the exam is complete.   Honorlock uses leading technology to recognize a diverse range of students and ensure no bias in facial recognition.

8. ASU Information Security Office Review

   1. Honorlock was successfully run through ASU’s evidence based security review before making the service available.
       

If you have additional questions, please contact the ASU 24x7 Experience Center 
 

Resources: 

• Honorlock Protects Student Privacy
• Student Privacy Statement Explanation 
• FERPA statement
• Honorlock Knowledgebase
• Honorlock Support
• ASU Student Help Articles
• ASU Faculty Help Articles