Study finds IT most concerned about cyber-attacks to administrative systems

According to a new report by the SANS Institute, a US-based network security training organization, the biggest area of “unease” regarding IT security is central administrative systems. This was followed by faculty and staff computers and web applications, and faculty and staff mobile devices. The study found that although a majority (76%) of institutions focus efforts on protecting personally identifiable information, only 54% encrypt this information in transit. Respondents indicated that attacks against internal database systems and servers were the “primary attack vector” that was of utmost concern; faculty and staff “endpoints” and vulnerability to malware was another area of significant concern. Respondents also suggested that many IT departments were understaffed and facing budget restrictions, making it increasingly difficult to monitor and protect systems and servers. "Despite these concerns, institutions are working to provide open and secure educational environment[s] to their clients, the faculty, staff, students, parents and benefactors," said study author Randy Marchany, Chief Information Security Officer at Virginia Tech University. Campus Technology