Project Part 1
The top three security threats that Aim Higher College faces are the following: Mobile devices connecting to the network, Social Media, and Compromised routers intercepting sensitive information. These threats are the most common that any college faces. The threats have remained at the top of the list every year for a variety of reasons. This list of threats is also unique to college campuses. I will discuss each of the threats in this report.
College students love new technology and each year smaller and more powerful devices are hitting the market. Students on the campus have a variety of devices ranging from cell phones, tablets, and laptops. These devices connect to the campus network and are used by students to check email, class schedules, get grades, and many other uses. The challenge is to ...view middle of the document...
Students and teachers both use things like Facebook, Myspace, and others. These applications have the potential to transmit malware every time they are used on the campus network. Malware can be embedded in everything from videos to comments. Every time a student or teacher clicks on a video viruses, keystroke loggers, or worms can be installed and start destroying or intercepting data. The infected devices must be identified quickly and the malware removed while still allowing others to access the websites. Another challenge unique to social media is the fact that not only is there a potential network impact, but students may be caught for violations to campus policy on their own time. Social media is being scrutinized on a massive scale and students and teachers both must watch what they post on these sites. Pictures, comments, and activities are being monitored and a night partying that is posted may result in a student expulsion or faculty members being fired. In the past activities that did not take place on campus or in a person’s own time were private. Social media has changed this and you must be aware of what you are doing at all times.
The last threat in the list is a compromised router intercepting sensitive information. As the core routing system for the Internet, BGP defines the most efficient route for Internet data to be transmitted around the world, deciding which links carry Internet data. Think of it as the Internet’s navigation system, providing turn-by-turn directions for all Internet connections. By hijacking the BGP translations, attackers can drive unsuspecting surfers and/or students, faculty and staff attempting to access the university’s network to malicious sites. They can also intercept e-mail, financial transactions, and other highly sensitive data and personal information as they are transferred to the university or a key partner. The financial and security implications associated with such acts can be tremendous.
