Assignment : Information Security in Higher Education Institutions

Technological advances have provided increasing opportunities in higher education for delivering instruction and other services. However, exposure to information security attacks has been increasing as more organizations conduct their businesses online. Higher education institutions have one of the highest frequencies of security breaches as compared to other industries such as corporate and government sectors. Colleges and universities may be at special risk for information security breaches. In fact, of all types of organizations, higher education institutions may have among the least secured environments for protecting information systems and resources. Colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations are the most susceptible to security incidents that involve identity theft. Additionally, hackers can and have used college and university systems to conceal their identities while launching attacks on commercial systems. These institutions collect, store, process, and transmit personal and financial information about their students, employees, alumni, and other entities. Failure to adequately protect these information resources could result in significant financial, reputational, and other losses to the institutions and individuals affected. Information security in higher education also faces resource constraints through lack of adequate staffing, funding, and upper management support. Combined with the generally open nature of academic environments, these issues make colleges and universities targets for hacking and information theft. Information security should be an important consideration for all organizations due to the high costs and consequences associated with computer crimes and security breaches. As breaches continue to cause significant damage to organizations, security consciousness is shifting from traditional perimeter defense to a holistic understanding of what is causing the damage and where organizations are exposed. Although many attacks are from an external source, attacks from within often cause the most damage. This report looks at the security threats that higher educational institutions suffer from, along with the security systems they use.