PennBox Service Information

PennBox Sharing and Collaboration

The University of Pennsylvania has signed an enterprise agreement with Box, which provides Box licenses for all PSOM faculty, staff and students. Box is an easy to use file sharing and collaboration platform that can be used to share documents with Penn and external collaborators.

Information Systems & Computing (ISC), the central University IS organization, owns and maintains the service on behalf of the University community. More information about the service, including who is eligible for an account, can be located on their website.

PennBox Costs

In FY2024, the University introduced new rates for using PennBox. For PSOM users only, the current rate structure is as follows:

0 - 5 TB: No charge

5 - 50 TB: $2000 / year, billed monthly

For every additional 50 TB: $5,000 / year, billed monthly

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What email address is used for PennBox?

Your primary email address will appear as pennkey@upenn.edu in PennBox. Effective May 22, 2024, this address cannot be changed. If you use a different email address at Penn, such as an @pennmedicine.upenn.edu address, please review these instructions for adding a secondary email address to your account.

 

I've exceeded my PennBox quota. What should I do?

If you have exceeded your quota in PennBox, please open a ticket with the PMACS Helpdesk or contact MedHelp. If you have exceeded 5 TB, you will need to supply a budget code in order to have your quota increased.

 

Is PennBox HIPAA Compliant? Can I store PHI on PennBox?

Your use of PennBox for HIPAA data is legally HIPAA compliant with a few caveats.  Penn has the proper agreement in place with Box for HIPAA purposes and the environment is HIPAA compliant.  However, the way that it is used must also be HIPAA compliant.  Therefore, you would need to ensure that you select access permissions so that only authorized individuals have access to the data.  Also, if downloading or sharing HIPAA data, it would have to be on Penn Medicine (UPHS or PMACS) managed devices or servers – no personal unmanaged devices can be used for this data.  Lastly, you would need to consult with your IT professional to ensure that logging is turned on for your account – this is a manual exercise.  

Lastly, because this solution is not managed or supported by Penn Medicine Information Services, it is not recommend for high-risk data, including for example large datasets of PHI or especially sensitive PHI.

 

Are UPHS staff eligible for PennBox accounts? Are Penn Medicine Residents eligible?

UPHS staff, by default, are not eligible for a PennBox account. The University has only purchased licenses to cover University faculty, staff and students. Penn Medicine Residents are considered UPHS employees, and, by extension, also do not have access to PennBox.

A UPHS employee who is actively working on PSOM or University education or research activities may request a PennBox account. To do so, their PSOM or University collaborator should submit a request by opening a ticket with the PMACS Helpdesk or contact MedHelp.

Additional Information

PSOM announcements regarding PennBox

Additional information is also available at these locations:

Have a question? Need more information? Please open a ticket with the PMACS Helpdesk or contact MedHelp.