Security & Privacy


line graph shows ransomware attacks by sector in 2022 with education leading globally

Ransomware Attacks Targeting Higher Ed Fell in 2022 as Malware Grew, SonicWall Says

SonicWall’s 2023 Cyber Threat Report shows that ransomware attacks targeting higher education institutions dropped by 29% last year — perhaps a result of wider reporting and faster patching of known exploited vulnerabilities, SonicWall said — as higher ed malware attacks rose by about 26%.

mobile device security

CISA Issues Warnings on Seven New Exploited Vulnerabilities

Since April 3, CISA has published alerts on seven known exploited vulnerabilities — two of which pose immediate risks for a long list of Apple devices — ordering federal agencies to remediate the identified vulnerabilities immediately and encouraging all organizations to do the same.

globe

Anywhere Learning Happens: The eduroam Global WiFi Access Service

As the eduroam WiFi access service has grown to reach around the globe, so has its capacity to serve the changing needs of the research and education community. Why does ubiquity matter? Here, two eduroam-US advisory committee leaders tell CT why and how eduroam is working to be anywhere students are learning.

Turnitin logo with logo icons representing OpenAI and ChatGPT

Turnitin's New AI Writing-Detection Features for Educators are Now Live

Plagiarism detection software Turnitin now includes new live AI-writing detection features that “identify the use of AI writing tools including ChatGPT, with 98% confidence,” the company said.

executive services

Apogee Expands Executive Advisory Services for Higher Education

Managed technology services provider Apogee has added to its suite of Executive Advisory Services, expanding the offering to 15 disciplines, including IT infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and compliance assessments and strategies.

Deadline Extended: Tech Tactics in Education Call for Speakers

Coming to Orlando, FL, Nov. 7-9, 2023, the new conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will focus on cybersecurity and data practices across K–20 education.

ransomware

Report: Ransomware Attacks Up 627%

According to the latest Internet Security Report from data security provider WatchGuard, ransomware at the endpoint level has surged 627% — despite an observed decrease at the network level of detected malware last quarter.

Five adults stand and sit talking in a room of computers and the sign on the wall says "Security Operations Center University of South Carolina Aiken"

How USC Aiken's CIO Used Regional Cybersecurity 'Buzz' to Launch a Student-Staffed Security Operations Center

Thanks to the CIO's efforts on campus and through partnering with external cyber organizations, USC Aiken is enjoying a successful first year of its student-staffed Security Operations Center, expanding cyber-monitoring capabilities for not only the Aiken campus but also for sister campuses in the USC system — and the university is no longer short-staffed in the IT department.

ransomware

Blackbaud to Pay $3M Fine for 'Misleading' Customers Following 2020 Ransomware Attack, Data Breach

Blackbaud, a South Carolina-based provider of administrative, donor management, and CRM software to thousands of K–12 private schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofits, has been ordered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to pay a fine of $3 million to “settle charges for making misleading disclosures about a 2020 ransomware attack that impacted more than 13,000 customers,” the federal agency said in a news release.

Tech Tactics in Education

New 'Tech Tactics in Education' Conference Announced by Campus Technology and THE Journal

Registration is now open for Tech Tactics in Education: Data and IT Security in the New Now, a new conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal. The three-day event, taking place November 7–9, 2023, at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., will offer hands-on learning, practical tips, and strategic discussions on critical cybersecurity issues and key data infrastructure and practices across K–12 and higher education.