Colleges In Need of Remedial Education

Since January 2005, 76 schools have reported 109 computer breaches. Yes, some of the institutions have had more than one experience with this problem.



Employers depend on our higher education system to produce the future players in the U.S. economy. It is somewhat discouraging that they are also producing opportunities for the exposure of private personal information. It is estimate that as many as one-third of all data exposures occur on college-owned computer equipment.



In parallel, the Department of Education is requiring increased reporting of individual student progress, which requires the school to collect enhanced data. Some institutions still use Social Security Numbers as students’ ID. I have been touting a change from this procedure for more than five years. I have worked with colleges on strategies for change.



Some of the problem is attributed to decentralized responsibility for student data. Teachers carry laptops with student data. Department heads, admissions, recruitment and placement offices also handle personal information. There are usually no campus-wide security procedures, so the data may be exposed in a variety of ways. Donors, students, patrons of bookstores, recruits, and employee information has been exposed.