Security

Breach Detection Platform Targets Higher Ed Protection

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/25/16

A company that specializes in data breach detection has introduced a version of its technology specifically for colleges and universities. The Eastwind 4 Education platform from Eastwind Networks is intended to monitor network traffic loads and alert security administrators to anomalous activities that could signal a data breach. Currently, at least one institution is testing out the system.

Eastwind uses a combination of behavior analytics, machine learning, malware analysis and threat intelligence to compare network traffic to data from previous breaches in order to identify potential hazards. When it uncovers something suspicious, it alerts IT personnel within the school for action.

"As networks go, a university is as diverse and dynamic as they come. The number of users, most with multiple devices, presents a natural fit for active breach detection," said Paul Kraus, president and CEO of Eastwind, in a press release.

Added Danny Yeo, who leads a team of IT professionals within the Brigham Young University College of Life Sciences, while businesses can set restrictive policies about bring-your-own-device usage, a university setting is different. "A balance between security and functionality is crucial. The majority of our BYOD traffic comes from student laptops and mobile devices," Yeo said. "We want to offer the same openness and accessibility for online exploration as we do when people visit our campus in person. To facilitate that experience, we needed a security solution that goes beyond a simple firewall and end user virus protection, a solution that looks at everything."