Butler University Spotlights Cybersecurity Risks, Low Training Participation
INDIANAPOLIS - butler University’s IT department is raising awareness about growing cybersecurity threats during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, highlighting the vulnerability of student data adn the importance of proactive training. Despite efforts including a new “backstage pass” educational module designed by the IT department, participation in available training remains low, ranging from 5 too 15% depending on the time of year, according to information security analyst Melanie Perez.
The university is offering multiple resources,including an online course and a webinar,”Social Engineering: The Art of Exploitation,” hosted on Oct. 15 and 16. additionally, “Seeing Bias: AI, Representation and Responsibility in the Digital Age” on Oct. 20 in Dugan Hall 234 counts as a Butler Cultural Requirement credit.
“A lot of people store the majority of their information on the internet,” saeid first-year computer science major Chelsea Flynn. “A lot of banking is done online, so having a good cybersecurity system like two-factor authentication is very significant to keep that information private.”
Higher education institutions are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks due to the sensitive personal information they hold,ranking second only to healthcare organizations,Perez explained.”There’s a lot of personal information that’s stored in our systems [like] private information that’s required for a student to come here,” she said.
chief information security officer Wade Javorsky emphasized the risk students face. “Students are commonly targeted by threat actors because they may be viewed as easy targets,” Javorsky said. “That’s why it’s so critical that students participate in the outreach and training activities that we have provided to them.”
The IT department stresses the long-term value of cybersecurity skills.”From a future career standpoint, with the way that technology is going, these kinds of skills are critically important to have,” Perez said. “I could see employers putting a high importance on those [skills].”
