The BBC has reported that multiple universities all over the U.K. have been affected by a malicious hacking attempt. The hack, which was a distributed denial-of-service attack directed at an academic network shared by several schools, has stopped students from being able to turn in homework. Basically, a DDoS attack floods a network with requests, clogging it and thereby making it unusable.
Although these types of attacks don't steal information by themselves, they are often used as a distraction. A hacker will initiate a DDoS attack, and while the institution is scrambling to get service back up and running, this malicious actor will try to find and exploit holes in the network's security. Whether this most recent attack was a cover or simply a prank has yet to be seen, but the point here is that universities have become some of the most hacked establishments out there.
Hacking attempts directed at universities aren't incidents that only happen in Europe and the U.K., either. In the summer of 2015, Harvard became the victim of a malicious hack. The university reported that no student personal data had been breached, such as Social Security numbers and banking information, but it did state there was a possibility that university account login credentials had been taken.
The fact that these individuals can infiltrate arguably the most prestigious collegiate institution in the U.S. shows that this problem is more widespread than people are willing to admit. In fact, the 2015 Internet Security Threat Report released by Symantec discovered that universities are extremely vulnerable to cyberattacks. The report found that education is the third most hacked sector, only behind retail and health care.
This shows that universities the world over need to invest more heavily in cybersecurity. Although Harvard was lucky enough to keep its student's personal data confidential, the amount of information these institutions hold is simply too important to risk with a lax cybersecurity system. Many universities work with highly classified and dangerous research information, and allowing this sort of data to fall into the hands of cybercriminals is reckless.
Just like every other sector out there, universities are in dire need of individuals with skills gained from computer training courses in cybersecurity. Despite their nefarious intentions, hackers are extremely knowledgeable individuals. In order to stop them, universities - and the world in general - need equally knowledgeable people willing to fight back. Hackers won't quit until they're forced to, and computer based training in cybersecurity can help you put these criminals out of commission.
If you've ever thought about taking computer training courses in cybersecurity, or if you just want to learn more about the field, make sure to check out the number of basic computer training courses offered by New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. New Horizons of Southern California and Southern Arizona can help give you the tools to stop cybercriminals in their tracks.