University cyberattacks on the rise
Within weeks of each other, both Virginia Tech and the University of Michigan suffered cyberattacks that compromised students' personal information.
In August, President Biden introduced a plan to 'strengthen the cyber workforce through greater diversity and inclusion.'
A wave of cyberattacks directed at colleges and universities have raised questions about the quality of cyber analysts nationwide.
On Sept. 5, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) learned that hackers had exposed the personal information of current and former students.
This information included the “legal first and last name, preferred name, Banner ID (90 number), PID, e-mail address, ethnicity, primary college, gender, student classification (freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior), level (associate, undergraduate, graduate, professional, or medical), residency (in-state or out-of-state), local mailing address, fall and winter term enrollment indicator, and a designator to indicate transfer student, international student, first generation student, and/or veteran” of every student.
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“The university’s ensuing investigation suggests the information was obtained by an unauthorized party who would have been able to download files containing the information,” the school said in an email. However, the university stated that it did not fear fraud or identity theft.
On Aug. 27, the University of Michigan also suffered a cyberattack, forcing the school to shut down its internet for three days.
“The investigative work into the security issue continues, and we are not able to share any information that might compromise the investigation. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to move through the investigative process,” the university said in a statement.
The August incident was the second cyberattack against the University of Michigan this year. Cybersecurity expert Christopher Budd said that, due to a breach of MOVEit, a file-sharing service commonly used by colleges and universities, schools can expect more attacks of this sort.
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“If you set the cake down on the blanket, one ant will see it, then another, then there’s a stream of ants going toward it,” Budd said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed. “The more potential attackers see higher ed is a viable and fruitful target, the more attacks will occur.”
The cybersecurity industry is currently facing a worker shortage, which, as Campus Reform reported in August, President Joe Biden is attempting to counter by introducing the “National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy” plan.
The plan seeks to “strengthen the cyber workforce through greater diversity and inclusion.” It will “transform cyber education” and “foster extensive collaboration between employers, educators, government and other key stakeholders to meet both urgent and long-term workforce needs.”
Additionally, Campus Reform reported in 2021 that Alabama State University received $300,000 from the Office of Naval Research in a grant titled “Increasing the Diversity in Cyber Security Through Undergraduate Research Experiences.”
Campus Reform has reached out to Christopher Budd, President Biden, the Office of Naval Research, Virginia Tech, the University of Michigan, and Alabama State University for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
