USU Emphasizes the Use of Licensed Software for Security and Legal Compliance

USU Emphasizes the Use of Licensed Software for Security and Legal Compliance

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Medan, March 25, 2025 – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has issued Circular Letter Number 5504/UN5.1.R/HK.05/2025, emphasizing the obligation to use licensed software within the campus environment. This policy has been adopted as a preventive measure against cybersecurity threats and to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.  

 

In the circular, USU Rector Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., stressed that using unlicensed software could have serious consequences, including copyright infringement and potential cyberattacks. Therefore, all academic community members and educational staff must use official software or available open-source alternatives.  

 

Several regulations underpin this policy, including Law Number 28 of 2014 on Copyright, Presidential Regulation Number 95 of 2018 on Electronic-Based Government Systems (SPBE), and various other rules governing information technology management in educational institutions.  

 

To support the implementation of this policy, USU has also provided a list of recommended open-source software that can be used as alternatives. Some of these include LibreOffice for document processing, GIMP for graphic design, as well as RStudio and JASP for statistical analysis.  

 

With the issuance of this circular, USU hopes that the entire academic community will become increasingly aware of the importance of using legal software. In addition to enhancing data security, this policy also aims to create a more ethical and responsible academic environment in utilizing information technology.