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Data Security
Peace (of Mind) in Our Time
10/1/2007
“One of our key requirements was a solution that supported both Windows and Mac OS X,” says Baylor’s Allen. “PGP passed that test with no problem at all. We’re impressed with it so far, and we’re finding that our users are happy with it as well. PGP provides security without causing any headaches for our users.”
“Encryption certainly has gained popularity, especially for safeguarding faculty laptops,” offers Paul Zindell, a network security specialist at CDW-G, the government- and education-focused division of CDW. “But there are some challenges. For small mobile devices that don’t have much processing power, encryption remains wishful thinking. But for PCs and servers, it’s becoming more and more of a mainstream option.”
Find the Leak
Another big IT security trend focuses on information leakage—which involves the deliberate (or accidental) movement of data off of university systems. For instance, a university administrator may accidentally send confidential financial information to a consultant whose e-mail address closely resembles that of a peer employee.
“At one time or another in our careers, we’ve all made the honest mistake of forwarding a message to a person who shouldn’t see it,” notes Andy Honl, a senior product marketing manager at data security giant Symantec.
But as privacy and compliance concerns grow, universities must take steps to stop such information leakage. Not by coincidence, most traditional security software companies—from McAfee and Symantec, to Websense—now offer solutions that block confidential data from leaving designated servers or desktops. Ideally, software that blocks information leakage must look beyond e-mail systems, and also must stop users from moving data from a PC to a USB (universal serial bus) thumb drive, CDROM, DVD, or other type of mobile or portable device.
Wireless Worries
Contrary to some speculation, WiFi networks have proven to be just as secure as traditional wired networks. The trouble with WiFi, however, frequently involves misconfigured devices and/or rogue wireless access points that provide an open door into a university’s network.
“It wasn’t long ago that every university wanted to boast it had a wireless campus,” recalls CDW-G’s Zindell. “Many schools spent a lot of money unwiring their campuses—but they forgot to lock down those wireless networks.”
One common wireless attack on college campuses involves the so-called “man-in-the-middle” hack.
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