Keep Pace with EdTech Industry

Education Cybersecurity Weekly is a curated weekly news overview for those who are concerned about 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.

‘Hacking for defense’ class to be taught in US top universities

EdScoop on September 21, 2018

This academic year, 20 of the U.S. top universities will provide a course for students called “Hacking for Defense”. It will prepare them to contribute to the U.S. military and intelligence communities after their graduation. Stanford University was the first to offer the course back in 2016. Each university decides whether the class is available as a graduate-level course or not.

Divided into groups, the students choose a problem submitted by a U.S. defense entity and can introduce their own problem that seeks a solution. Solutions are different being business-process or policy based. A member of the sponsored department and a local community member mentor each group of participants.

EdTech industry can meet CA’s new privacy rules

EdSurge on September 21, 2018

On June 27, 2018, the California Legislature passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The act will impact U.S. and global organizations doing business in CA regardless of their location.

Although most edtech companies fit into this category, the low does not focus only on education technology but applies if the organization meets one of these thresholds: annual gross revenues of $25 million;

• annual gross revenues of $25 million;
• personal information from 50,000 or more California residents, households, or devices annually;
• 50 percent or more annual revenue (regardless of the amount of total revenue) from selling California residents’ personal information.
• The CCPA relies more on transparency and the right to opt out than on user consent requirements and its fines are not as heavy as GDPR’s. The law imposes limitations on the sale of personal information of users under the age of 16. Therefore, services used by children in classrooms can be subject to the CCPA.

Games play an essential role in classrooms

Education Technology on September 23, 2018

Technology has changed the way we live. Children love games, thus using some of the game features in classrooms may bring great benefits.

Gamification refers to using elements of computer games to drive engagement. With all its benefits, it is becoming a key part of educational resources and a great motivating tool to be used by teachers. It helps provide the quick feedback. Game-based learning with a competitiveness in mind also lead to students feeling motivated and engaged with the learning regardless of their level, ability or needs.

Machine learning helps to secure universities’ systems

EdTech Focus on HigherEd on September 24, 2018

Hackers have become incredibly sophisticated deploying machine learning. Institutions should do the same to keep pace with them.

The next-generation security solutions can help solve a great deal of security issues. Machine learning technologies allow not only detecting the cracks and alerting IT staff, but fixing them in real time. The systems that learn continuously can be a powerful support for education IT teams. That kind of autonomy is the direction in which cybersecurity strategies should be heading.

With these advanced solutions universities’ IT staff members will have a better chance of keeping the bad actors out and reducing the workload.