IT Security in Higher Education

Abstract

Hacking for illegal or unauthorized purposes was once the preserve of those with a deep knowledge of operating systems and networks. However, with the proliferation of widely available tools that encapsulate much of this knowledge and that are easily upgraded, illegal and unauthorized hacking has now become possible for a much wider audience. Not surprisingly, then, there has been a major upsurge of IT security incidents in the relatively open higher education environment during the past few years. Universities are not defense agencies; however, the tidal wave of automated hacking makes it essential for higher education to move IT security from a neglected backwater to a top priority with the active engagement of a university's senior management and adequate resources. This presentation argues the case for this and describes some of Indiana University's activities in this area.