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Online Data, Hacking of

Hacking of online data means obtaining unauthorized access, by way of computer intrusion, to information stored in any device accessible to others via the Internet. Intrusion could come in many forms, but often occurs as a result of lost or stolen login credentials obtained by hacking a web server, installing malware like viruses or trojans that steal information from a victim’s computer, or through the use of so-called phishing e-mails that trick an individual into giving up his or her login credentials to an attacker. Devices targeted for attack include web servers, personal laptop or desktop computers, or digital storage devices owned and operated by the victim or a third party. A digital storage device owned and operated by the victim could include a network attached storage device like a backup hard drive. A similar device owned and operated by a third party could include a provider of so-called cloud storage, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box.net.

The remainder of this entry outlines the problem of online data hacking and how it has impacted higher education. This entry also provides suggestions for how individual researchers can help to mitigate the problem of data hacking.

The Data Breach Problem

Hacking of online data is also referred to as a “data breach.” The number of data breaches has steadily increased. In 2014, there were almost weekly reports of new data breaches targeting major retailers such as PF Chang’s and Home Depot, financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase and other major banks, and government agencies such as the U.S. State Department and the White House. The year was capped off with the breach of computer systems at Sony, which the U.S. government blamed on North Korea.

In many of these cases, investigations revealed that the organizations that had been breached had implemented poor information security practices and paid a heavy price as a result. A study by IBM concluded that the average cost for an organization targeted in a data breach in 2014 was $3.5 million. Even with this string of negative headlines and massive costs, a new, massive data breach made headlines in early 2015, this time affecting at least 8.8 million customers of the health insurance provider Anthem Blue. It appears as if hacking of online data is here to stay.

Data Breaches in Higher Education

Although academic researchers may believe that they are not targets for hacking of online data, there is real cause for concern. According to the 2015 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, the education industry had the highest number of average weekly malware events of any industry, as well as the slowest time to remove malware from its networks and systems. In turn, this malware was responsible for 32% of the data breaches in education, with errors in securing online systems and data accounting for another 26%, and deliberate cyber espionage accounting for another 15%. In fact, educational institutions were targeted for cyber espionage twice as often as financial services institutions, according to the Verizon report.

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