Technology is playing an increasingly integral role in education- students are taking online tests, using mobile devices in the classroom and storing their personal information in the cloud.
While the digital classroom concept creates additional learning opportunities for students, it also increases vulnerabilities and opens the door for fraudsters to wage attacks.
ThreatMetrix, a provider of context-based security and advanced fraud prevention solutions, announced the top cybersecurity risks for educational institutions and students during the 2015-2016 school year.
To prepare for cybercrime threats, ThreatMetrix has outlined the top cybercrime risks and trends that students and educational institutions should be aware of this school year:
An influx in mobile usage
The ThreatMetrix Cybercrime Report: Q2 2015 analyzed more than three billion transactions for a summary of activity and discovered that 31 percent of those transactions occurred on mobile devices.
As consumers and educational institutions adopt mobile as an e-commerce and academic tool, the accurate percentage for those using mobile devices is likely greater than 50 percent, increasing the potential to compromise digital identities.
Students showing up to the classroom with mobile devices and tablets in hand may not know their online sharing activities are putting them at risk of falling victim to cybercrime. Students using multiple devices, such as laptops and mobile, leads to an increase in shared sensitive information and the possibility that private data is exposed to cybercriminals.
Cybercriminals targeting higher education
While many high profile data breaches target retailers, such as Neiman Marcus, Staples and Home Depot, universities are the latest target for fraudsters looking to compromise digital identities.
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