Staff Writer
Following multiple sophisticated cyber-attacks, first on retail stores such as Target and Neiman Marcus and then on the University of Maryland on Feb. 18, the Information Technology Department at Salisbury University has taken extra precautions to ensure the safety of students’ personal information.
“Cyber-attacks are, unfortunately, an increasingly common and dangerous threat facing our nation and the world,” said SU Chief Information Officer Simeon Ananou, “The root cause of cyber-attacks is on a continuum from individual passwords being compromised to hackers exploiting computer vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access.”
Since the recent attacks, especially the one at UMD, the SU IT Department has “conducted a targeted review of our security practices,” Ananou said.
The IT Department does not wait for a threat to improve the university’s system. Ananou said that SU, along with other University of Maryland Systems, undergoes several thorough external security auditing processes to make sure that that the system meets industry and state standards for safeguards protecting Personally Identifiable Information data.
“Salisbury University makes every attempt to improve information security whenever possible,” Ananou said. “We must commend the university’s Information Security team for their vigilance and their dedication to protecting university-sensitive data.”