A computer break-in at Harvard University highlights the growing challenges the nation's colleges and universities face in trying to safeguard students' private information.
HARVARD: Thousands exposed in data breach
Security and privacy are the No. 1 technology concern for schools, according to an annual survey of 535 colleges and universities by Educause, which will publish the results in May. The Washington, D.C., organization works with universities on a range of information technology issues, including securing its systems.
"Data security incidents have been epidemic in the last two to three years and not just at colleges and universities," says Rodney Petersen, Educause's security task force coordinator, who works with schools to secure their databases. "It's a significant problem and source of concern."
The most recent college breach occurred at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in February, when a hacker broke into a Web server that contained personal information on 10,000 grad-school applicants. The information ranged from Social Security numbers and addresses to food allergies and housing preferences.
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The server contained data on students who applied to the graduate school for the 2007 school year and graduate housing applicants for 2006 and 2007. There was no financial information.
The university has found no evidence that the data has been used in identity theft, says Daniel Moriarty, Harvard's chief information officer.
"The reason we moved to notify individuals was as a precaution" because the school does not know the extent of the breach, he says.
University officials took down the site on Feb. 17 after they learned that 19 student housing records had shown up on a website called Pirate's Bay, where hackers show off their work. Since then, the school has sent letters to all students whose records were on the server and has offered to pay for credit-protection services.
In 2007, there were 139 reported information security incidents at colleges and universities around the world, a 68% increase from the previous year, according to a report by Educational Security Incidents, which tracks information security breaches in higher education.
Incidents range from stolen laptops containing student and employee data to breaches of the schools' network systems. The most common data pilfered are names, addresses, ages and Social Security numbers, the report says.
http://www.usatoday.com/
Thursday, March 20, 2008
More government cash for universities and colleges
UNIVERSITIES AND colleges are to receive an extra £20 million of funding, the Scottish government has announced.
The package will be split evenly between the higher education and further education sectors.
Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, said: "Colleges and universities are at the heart of our drive to build a smarter, more prosperous Scotland.
"That's why, even though we are working within an extremely tight financial settlement, I am pleased to be able to announce a package of measures to support our higher and further education sectors."
Hyslop said universities would receive £10m to assist them and colleges will get £10m to allow them to invest in key areas "such as supporting young people who need more choices and more chances; articulation; and innovative approaches to learning delivery".
The announcement comes after a funding settlement that higher and further education principals have criticised.
Before the SNP's first Budget last year university leaders said the sector needed a £168m increase to keep Scottish institutions competitive with their English counterparts, who can charge students fees. But they received £30m, which was blamed on a tight settlement from Westminster.
Last month the principal of Dundee University, Sir Alan Langlands, said his institution would have to lose jobs because of the financial climate.
Strathclyde University is reviewing its situation. Last year it said it would lose 250 jobs, but postponed its decision until after the Budget. In response to the sector's concerns a taskforce was set up, and in January the government released an extra £10m of revenue funding for universities.
Education groups welcomed yesterday's announcement.
Sir Muir Russell, convener of Universities Scotland said: "This goes a very long way to addressing the cost pressures the university sector will face in 2008-09."
But opposition politicians criticised the government's "ad hoc" and "piecemeal" approach.
Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative education spokesman, said: "This extra cash will not go anywhere near enough to filling the gap the universities believe needs to be completed in order to prevent them falling behind better-funded institutions south of the border."
http://www.sundayherald.com/
The package will be split evenly between the higher education and further education sectors.
Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, said: "Colleges and universities are at the heart of our drive to build a smarter, more prosperous Scotland.
"That's why, even though we are working within an extremely tight financial settlement, I am pleased to be able to announce a package of measures to support our higher and further education sectors."
Hyslop said universities would receive £10m to assist them and colleges will get £10m to allow them to invest in key areas "such as supporting young people who need more choices and more chances; articulation; and innovative approaches to learning delivery".
The announcement comes after a funding settlement that higher and further education principals have criticised.
Before the SNP's first Budget last year university leaders said the sector needed a £168m increase to keep Scottish institutions competitive with their English counterparts, who can charge students fees. But they received £30m, which was blamed on a tight settlement from Westminster.
Last month the principal of Dundee University, Sir Alan Langlands, said his institution would have to lose jobs because of the financial climate.
Strathclyde University is reviewing its situation. Last year it said it would lose 250 jobs, but postponed its decision until after the Budget. In response to the sector's concerns a taskforce was set up, and in January the government released an extra £10m of revenue funding for universities.
Education groups welcomed yesterday's announcement.
Sir Muir Russell, convener of Universities Scotland said: "This goes a very long way to addressing the cost pressures the university sector will face in 2008-09."
But opposition politicians criticised the government's "ad hoc" and "piecemeal" approach.
Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative education spokesman, said: "This extra cash will not go anywhere near enough to filling the gap the universities believe needs to be completed in order to prevent them falling behind better-funded institutions south of the border."
http://www.sundayherald.com/
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