NCJ Number
217926
Journal
Journal of Security Education Volume: 1 Issue: 2/3 Dated: 2005 Pages: 55-68
Date Published
2005
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper attempts to identify and define the emerging information security issues threatening academic institutions and proposes strategies to remediate them.
Abstract
Academic institutions possess four characteristics that distinguish their information security threats: the tension between culture and security; diverse users and access methods; the sensitive nature of information in the universities; and high-risk activities on academia’s networks. Significant threats to the security of academic institutions have included information theft, data tampering, viruses, worms, and terrorist activity. These emerging information security issues threatening academic institutions can be addressed through three types of remediation strategies. First, empirically based knowledge of information security in academic institutions must be developed and shared. Second, policies for information security must be developed and implemented. Thirdly, practices for information in academic institutions must move from fragmented, reactive, narrow focus on technology issues and solutions to a holistic, integrated, proactive approach to information security. Once these remediation strategies have been accepted, developed, and implemented, the information security issues that now threaten academic institutions and the general public will be markedly reduced. America’s academic institutions have become a hotbed of criminal, malicious, and terrorist activity. They may also be one of the most neglected information security risks. For these reasons, this paper sought to define these emerging information security issues and propose strategies to remediate them. References