Page 99 - Cyber Defense Magazine for August 2020

Why Academic Openness and A Rise in Online Classes

Should Invoke A Renewed Focus on Security
By Anthony Bettini, CTO, WhiteHat Security

For decades, researchers and students from around the world have come to study and collaborate,
research and innovate at American universities and colleges under the auspices of academic openness
at our schools. Unfortunately, that academic openness has resulted in universities and colleges becoming
attractive targets for nation-state hackers, cybercriminals, and reportedly, espionage operations. Part of
the reason for this could be because these institutions possess massive amounts of valuable data, as
well as vital information pertaining to government projects and research, personal data of students and
professors, financial and health information and much more.
While higher education has been gradually increasing the number of online classes, the recent global
pandemic has accelerated the process dramatically. Now, universities and colleges have had to quickly
procure or build additional applications to accommodate distance learning and deliver to their students
the same quality educational experiences they would have previously had on campus and in person. The
emergency transition to online classes for students this past spring and the uncertainty for the upcoming
fall adds to risks for security vulnerabilities and compounds the stress for IT administrators, who are
responsible for safeguarding staff and student privacy.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – August 2020 Edition 99
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