Privacy and Network Security and Applications

The EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force (STF) provides a focal point for the academic community to join together to strengthen the ability of the higher education sector to respond to growing threats to information security and to protect the privacy of our community members. This strategic plan is intended to set forth a vision for the higher education community and provide a concise roadmap to guide the efforts of the STF. This roadmap emphasizes continuous and evolutionary community investment in converting our understanding of risks and issues into solutions based on effective practices, as well as the urgent need to build the national capability across the higher education sector to respond quickly and effectively as a community to new threats and vulnerabilities.

System trustworthiness is needed for security, reliability, survivability, safety, and for many application areas such as critical infrastructures, robust networking, and high-integrity elections. Trustworthiness ultimately requires many changes in the way systems are developed today. Being respectful of privacy needs requires further care. This talk considers a variety of approaches that can enhance system trustworthiness, sensible system development practices, and a system-oriented view toward achieving the desired changes.

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Bruce Schneier. Matt Pasiewicz, EDUCAUSE content program manager, conducted the interview at the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference. The full podcast is available at <http://connect.educause.edu/blog/mpasiewicz/e07podcastaninterviewwith/45439>. In the interview, Schneier answers questions about security and privacy issues.

"The Motion Picture of Association of America is urging some of the nation's largest universities to deploy custom software designed to pinpoint students who may be using the schools' networks to illegally download pirated movies. A closer look at the MPAA's software, however, raises some serious privacy and security concerns for both the entertainment industry and the schools that choose to deploy the technology."

Public Key Infrastructure: Making Progress, But Many Challenges Remain" is a Key Findings summary. Research Director Dan Blum and Analyst Gerry Gebel provide an update to Burton Group's assessment of the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) market, its challenges, and its future.