University Data Breaches: Some Stats and Figures

 

University Data Breaches: Why Docupile Is the Resolution

The University Data Breaches: Some Facts and Figures blog post is a comprehensive article about the data breaches, like Target and Sony. The University of Virginia, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, and UCLA are just some examples of universities that have been victims of these cyber-attacks. With so many people's personal information at risk, it is important for businesses to take steps now to protect their employees from this threat. 

Private enterprises have been high-profile victims of recent data breaches, one other group of organizations that are experiencing digital attacks to their information and databases—universities and academic institutions.

In 2014, FIVE universities were hit with a data breach larger than the one carried out on Sony. These breaches, of course, don't include the countless smaller-scale breaches that have taken place at other institutions.

This article will focus on the kinds of breaches that universities most commonly experience, analyze the three most serious university data breaches of 2015. As majorly publicized cases of data breaches at Target and Sony show, no organization is exempt from this threat.

University Data Breaches: Alarming Facts and Figures

When hackers target universities, there are two major reasons for their behavior. For one, they're usually after the personal information of administrators, Employees, and students of respected institutions have access to valuable research information.

Universities are typically vulnerable because of their open environment, which is meant to foster learning but also leaves them very exposed. Furthermore, hackers recognize that educational institutions store a high volume of personal data and research information.

Several high-profile data breaches have recently made their way into the public consciousness.

University of Virginia, August 2015

In August of 2015, the University of Virginia announced attackers based in China had illegally gained access to the school's information technology database, which house many personal data, including students and employees.

The University was required to change everyone's login information, and For the duration of their University's IT systems being taken down, an entire weekend was required to complete a "comprehensive security upgrade."

Harvard University, June 2015

Harvard announced in June that it had experienced an intrusion into its computer networks and would be repairing the two under-threat IT systems.

In the wake of these data breaches, all school security information is being reset and now includes passwords.

In the wake of this breach, Harvard followed increased security measures to mitigate future hacks.

Penn State University, May 2015

In the Fall of 2015, Penn State University president Eric Barron released a press release announcing that Penn's College of Engineering experienced two "highly-sophisticated cyber attacks."

After an overnight attack, the University was forced to disconnect from the internet and initiate a thorough investigation into their systems.

Meanwhile, the University is taking an extensive approach to recovering all affected systems. President Barron made an effort to improve security by promising improved measures.

Document Management Systems: A Weapon in the Fight Against Hackers

Several cases of high-profile data breaches dominated headlines, with university administrators responding by talking about beefing up security. The threat of data breaches has been a hot topic ever since hackers have increased their attacks on organizations.

It's great to know that just because we don't have a tool today doesn't mean we should wait for one?

A robust document management system like docupile can help organizations to negate the risks of data breaches. Docupile helps educate organizations on how to prevent data breaches with its comprehensive encryption algorithms and advanced security features. Data breaches are a prevalent and concerning phenomenon, but organizations can take steps to better secure themselves. Large organizations like universities will find docupile to be a reliable and secure service, ideal for ambitious projects with strict data retention policies.

If you're interested in how docupile can protect your University or institution from a data breach, contact sales to find out. Fill out the short form included on this page and enjoy a free 15-minute demo of docupile’s SecureDrawer security service. If that's enough, feel free to explore the site further to find out more about docupile’s powerful capabilities.