The recent data breach issue at Alabama A&M has brought to light a problem that is increasingly plaguing agencies and organizations across the state. Cybercrime is on the rise, and Alabama has been listed by the FBI as one of the states most vulnerable to such crimes.
Similarly, college students in general are particularly vulnerable to these crimes. This highlights the need to strengthen cybersecurity.
Student + Cybercrime
After receiving warnings that students' personal information could be compromised, Alabama A&M University began an investigation to identify potential campus-related issues.
The university instructed students to alert AAMU if they believe their personal information has been affected in any way. The number of students affected by the data breach is still unknown.
This is by no means an issue or case unique to AAMU. Universities are the top targets for cybercrime, according to a Bank of America report.
Jay Town, a former U.S. attorney in northern Alabama who is currently responsible for developing several cybersecurity platforms at Huntsville cybersecurity firm Gray Analytics, said college students and educational institutions are vulnerable for a variety of reasons. It has said.
“Unlike professionals, college students are not trained by cybersecurity experts or facility security personnel about the dangers of poor cyber hygiene. They click on everything. As a result, phishing They become more susceptible to attacks and hacking.”
Jay Town, Vice President and General Counsel, Gray Analytics
common cyber crimes
Town said email breaches are generally the most prevalent form of cybercrime, similar to the AAMU issue.
“A simple click event, or even an employee replying to a spoofed email, can compromise the entire corporate network, as well as the networks of partner companies and government customers. This can lead to data exfiltration, trade secret theft, and even ransomware attacks. In other words, this is one cybercrime providing an opportunity for another.”
Jay Town, Vice President and General Counsel, Gray Analytics
Strengthening cybersecurity
According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation report, Alabama is one of the states most vulnerable to cybercrime. This is primarily due to the type of industry here in the state, in the Huntsville area.
“Alabama is fortunate to have an industry, especially a defense industrial base. Billions of dollars pass through Alabama every year to design, engineer, and build our nation's most important defense programs. Our enemies, unlike us, do not invest in research and development. Instead, they invest in economic espionage and intellectual property theft. They did not invent it. They steal it. . This makes Alabama a target. Thankfully, industry experts in Alabama understand this and have some of the strongest networks in the country.”
Jay Town, Vice President and General Counsel, Gray Analytics
So what can businesses and organizations do to combat the rise in cybercrime? Town said it starts with awareness and training.
“We can build the tallest firewalls and harden our networks with the cyber equivalent of Teflon, but a simple click event from an employee can bring down the entire system. Employees and students are aware of the threat. You need to be aware of common infiltration methods, and how to avoid becoming a victim. During the pandemic, we took great care to practice good personal hygiene. We need to continue to practice good cyber hygiene. there is.”
Jay Town, Vice President and General Counsel, Gray Analytics
Alabama ranks 17th among states most vulnerable to cybercrime, an improvement from last year, when it ranked 6th. Yet, this is clearly a growing trend in our country, as illustrated by the recent breach at AAMU.
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