SEATTLE, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- WatchGuard Technologies
Highlights / News Facts:
Education-related Threats Expected to Rise - According to the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, 25 percent of all cyber-security breaches involve
schools, and although a majority of educators believe that their campus
networks are more secure now than last year, WatchGuard predicts that
significant breaches, vulnerabilities and threats will continue to plague
schools and universities. WatchGuard deems the following to be the leading
network, application and data threats to education:
-- Malware & Spyware - As students and faculty utilize the Web for
education as well as entertainment purposes, many unwittingly expose
themselves to drive-by downloads, or corrupted websites, which injects
malicious forms of software on their computers. Once infected, they
risk becoming victims of identity theft or loss of personal
information
via spyware and keyloggers.
-- Viruses - Today, e-mail remains to be one of the primary vectors for
delivering viruses. Unfortunately, a recent survey showed that 27
percent of users fail to keep their antivirus signatures up to date.
With viruses taking on innovative polymorphic properties, antivirus
signatures alone may not be enough to stop the next wave of new
viruses
to come.
-- Botnets - It has been estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all school
and
university computers connected to the Internet may be part of a
botnet.
As part of a botnet, school and university systems may be used in a
variety of unknown exploits, including spam delivery, denial of
service
attacks, click-fraud, identity theft and more.
-- Phishing - Phishing scams continue to get more sophisticated and
selective, with students being specifically targeted. A recent report
states that phishing attacks via social networks achieve a success
rate
of over 70 percent, which indicates that a majority of students are
vulnerable to phishing scams.
-- Hacking - In a recent survey of education IT professionals, 23 percent
ranked student hackers as one of their greatest threats to their
network
security. Whether the hacks are designed to alter grades or for more
sinister purposes, student hackers continue to push the envelope for
network and data protection.
-- Access Control - Usage of mobile devices and wireless access continues
to plague network administrators. Concerns of thwarting unauthorized
user access to education IT resources is top of mind with many
administrators. As use of mobile devices escalates, schools will face
increasing challenges in managing authorized network access.
-- Social Networks - The number one threat to school and university
networks is social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace.
Unfortunately, social networks act as an ideal platform to launch a
myriad of attacks against students and faculty, including spam,
viruses,
malware, phishing and more. Adding to this, socially engineered
attacks
are often extremely successful due to the "trusted" environment that
social networks create.
-- Because of the sensitive nature of student and faculty information,
such
as social security numbers, credit card information, and other
personal
identifying data at risk, WatchGuard recommends that schools and
universities review their security controls and IT policies regularly
to
ensure they have the most effective, up-to-date security solutions in
place.
Keywords:
Malware, Spyware, Viruses, Botnets, Phishing, Hacking, Access Control, Social
Networks, WatchGuard
Quotes:
-- "With so much at risk and so much to gain by cybercriminals, today's
campus is one of the most dangerous IT environments around," said Eric
Aarrestad, Vice President at WatchGuard Technologies. "Unlike
enterprise
organizations that can throw substantial resources towards network and
data protection, schools and universities are more constrained, yet
they
face some of the most demanding security challenges due to the dynamic
interaction between students and their school's IT resources."
About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
Since 1996, WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc. has been the advanced technology
leader of business security solutions, providing mission-critical protection
to hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. The WatchGuard family of
wired and wireless unified threat management appliances and SSL VPN remote
access solutions provide extensible network, application and data security, as
well as unparalleled network visibility, management and control. WatchGuard
products are backed by WatchGuard LiveSecurity® Service, an innovative
support, maintenance, and education program. WatchGuard is headquartered in
Seattle and has offices serving North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin
America. To learn more, visit http://www.watchguard.com/.
Contacts:
Chris McKie Jimme Peters
WatchGuard Technologies 24/7 Consulting
206-613-3760 503-289-5354
chris.mckie@watchguard.com jimme@24-7consulting.com
SOURCE WatchGuard Technologies
Chris McKie of WatchGuard Technologies, +1-206-613-3760,
chris.mckie@watchguard.com; or Jimme Peters of 24/7 Consulting,
+1-503-289-5354, jimme@24-7consulting.com, for WatchGuard Technologies
