Cybersecurity Is Like a Game of Chess

Education Cybersecurity Weekly is a curated weekly news overview for those who are concerned about the Education industry. It provides brief summaries and links to articles and news across a spectrum of cybersecurity and technology topics that are specific to the industry.

Data security is a cornerstone of education process

Education Technology on December 23, 2018

Perhaps, the number of personal devices, students and faculty use in universities and at home, will soon be equal to the number of notebooks, our grandparents filled during their studying. In terms of that, the security of education becomes one of the most sensitive issues for universities’ IT teams as they face a challenge to find a balance between the adequate level of IT devices access and its safety.

However, a recent research study showed that one in five schools and colleges has fallen victim to cybercrime. What are the reasons for such frustrating statistics? The first answer is slightly surprising – curiosity. Frequently, knowledgeable students can bypass the firewalls, carrying a virus and compromising network security as a result. Second, a notorious BYOD culture. Bring-Your-Own-Device may be continued “But-Network-May-Be-Compromised”.

Hardly any institutions want to be the one out of five whose network got hacked. Thus, start planning cybersecurity policy in advance.

NFC technology at universities – a new data safety solution or a cyberthreat?

EdTech Magazine on December 21, 2018

Have you heard about Near-Field Communication (the NFC)? It is a wireless technology, based on radio-frequency identification, that allows two devices to interact with each other while placing them close together, commonly within a few centimeters. Sounds interesting, especially when it comes to education security.

Near-field communication became a basis for cooperation between Apple and three universities where learners now have contactless student IDs installed in the smartphones and Apple watches. Now by only one tap students can buy lunch at dining halls or make payments on campus.

However, the security aspect of the NFC remains topical. For instance, a remote attacker could intercept the signal during a contactless transaction using a spoofing method through a simple radio receiver, according to InfoSec Institute. Moreover, gadgets may be lost, stolen or just left in a café by students themselves. Therefore, there is something to think about before implementing this technology.

Revolutionary that changes Higher Ed

eCampus News on December 19, 2018

Have you already guessed its name? Starts with “A”, ends with “I”. Yeah, AI is not only a buzzword of education technology – the growing potential of artificial intelligence (AI) once again became a subject of experts’ study. Thus, have a look at brief points about how AI changes the Higher Ed industry:

1. Student acquisition: AI could improve recruitment enrollment and retention by suggesting students, successful in a certain area, suitable future jobs.
2. Learning and instruction: AI can provide students with relevant resources, they need to succeed, helping instructors to engage with learners on a deeper level.
3. Student affairs: In addition to personalized degree planning, AI could anticipate students’ academic needs, advising them relevant resources.
4. Institutional efficiency: AI can gather information from multiple campus systems, making administrative decisions more effective.

Moreover, the report highlights the necessity of FERPA changes that we have already mentioned before. Updated in 2001, FERPA overlooks most of the common education technologies including smartphones, tablets, wireless data and even online education programs in general.