Educational IT news summary

EDUCAUSE | 22 Dec 2006 22:18

Edupage, December 22, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2006
*** Publishing Hiatus for Edupage ***
  MSU Suffers Data Mishap
  NASA and Google Sign Space Agreement Act
  Laptop Revenue to Surpass Desktops in 2007
  Recording Companies Sue Russian Site in U.S. Court

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With this issue, EDUCAUSE begins a hiatus in publishing Edupage in
order to assess options for better service to our valued subscribers.
As RSS technology and other news-aggregator services have outpaced this
weekly distillation of IT news, we will explore new content delivery
options that better match audience needs with available resources. Some
of you will be invited to complete an EDUCAUSE resource survey in the
first quarter of 2007, results of which will guide planning for future
projects. Thank you for subscribing to Edupage.
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MSU SUFFERS DATA MISHAP
Officials from Mississippi State University (MSU) have notified
approximately 2,400 students and employees that their confidential
information was mistakenly made available on a public Web site. In a
statement, Doc Foglesong, president of MSU, said, "When we learned that
the site actually was publicly accessible, we took the server offline

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EDUCAUSE | 18 Dec 2006 22:24

Edupage, December 18, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2006
  Higher Ed Tops in Data Breaches
  Two Foundations Join to Improve Third-World Schools
  PC Magazine Names Villanova as Most Wired
  MySpace Coming to Cell Phones
  Verizon to Build Fiber-Optic Link to China

HIGHER ED TOPS IN DATA BREACHES
Educational institutions reportedly have had more information security
breaches than government, business, financial service, and health-care
companies and are twice as likely to report breaches as other entities.
According to Ron Ben-Natan, chief technology officer at database
security and monitoring first Guardium, "College and university
databases are the ideal target for cyber criminals and unscrupulous
insiders [because] they store large volumes of high-value data on
students and parents.... At the same time, these organizations need
open networks to effectively support their faculty, students, and
corporate partners." Even if the data are not used immediately for
identity theft, the risk remains, as names, Social Security numbers,
and dates of birth don't change.
New York Times, 18 December 2006 (registration req'd)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/technology/18link.html

TWO FOUNDATIONS JOIN TO IMPROVE THIRD-WORLD SCHOOLS

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EDUCAUSE | 15 Dec 2006 19:10

Edupage, December 15, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2006
  Higher Education and IBM Announce Joint Initiative
  Group Wants to Offer Online Courses in Spanish
  Princeton Arranges Free Online Music
  China Enters Copyright Agreement
  Boeing Loses Another Laptop

HIGHER EDUCATION AND IBM ANNOUNCE JOINT INITIATIVE
IBM and seven universities will collaborate on research projects under
the auspices of the Open Collaborative Research program, an effort
launched last year by several universities and HP, Intel, Cisco, and
IBM. Some academics and corporate officials believe that the current
climate of innovation has become too restrictive due to growing
concerns over intellectual property and commercialization of new
technologies. The new initiative is intended to foster a renewed sense
of cooperation between industry and academia in the areas of research
and development. Elisa Bertino, computer scientist at Purdue
University, said, "Universities in the United States want to protect
their intellectual property but more and more see the importance of
collaboration." In addition to Purdue, other partners in the program
are Carnegie Mellon; the University of California, Berkeley; the
University of California, Davis; Columbia University; the Georgia
Institute of Technology; and Rutgers University.
New York Times, 14 December 2006 (registration req'd)

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EDUCAUSE | 13 Dec 2006 17:46

Edupage, December 13, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
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the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2006
  Hackers Access UCLA Records for 800,000
  Costs Spike for Software at U. of Minnesota
  South African Supercomputer Goes Online
  Apple Disputes Reported Drop in iTunes Sales

HACKERS ACCESS UCLA RECORDS FOR 800,000
UCLA has sent letters notifying 800,000 faculty, staff, students, and
applicants that a database containing their personal information was
accessed by a hacker for more than a year. Officials at the university
said the database was breached in October 2005 but that the problem was
not discovered until late November of this year when university staff
observed that a hacker was searching the database for names and Social
Security numbers. Jim Davis, CIO at UCLA, said that perhaps 5 percent
of the records were accessed and that so far there have been no reports
of the information being misused. He also noted that the compromised
database was a central component of the university's computer systems
and was protected by stringent security. The attackers used highly
sophisticated methods, Davis said, both to access the system and to
cover their tracks to prevent detection.
San Jose Mercury News, 12 December 2006
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/16220549.htm

COSTS SPIKE FOR SOFTWARE AT U. OF MINNESOTA

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EDUCAUSE | 11 Dec 2006 23:06

Edupage, December 11, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
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the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2006
  EDUCAUSE Releases Core Data Results
  E-Voting Changes Don't Satisfy All
  Pop-Ups Used to Pad Viewership Numbers

EDUCAUSE RELEASES CORE DATA RESULTS
EDUCAUSE has released results from its annual Core Data Service survey,
which questions higher education information technology leaders about
various aspects of IT on campus. According to the results, the
percentage of colleges and universities that choose to contract any of
several IT functions to outside vendors rose for the second straight
year, to 57 percent, up from 53 percent last year. Other notable
changes included a rise in the percentage of institutions that have
deployed wireless connectivity on campus, particularly in libraries,
and a rise in the percentage of campuses that have undertaken an
assessment of computer security. Greater proportions of colleges said
they track bandwidth usage this year than last year, and campuses also
saw a rise in the number that installed ERP systems. The full text of
the "EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2005 Summary Report" is
available at the EDUCAUSE Web site
(http://www.educause.edu/apps/coredata/reports/2005/).
Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 December 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/12/2006121101t.htm

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EDUCAUSE | 9 Dec 2006 00:15

Edupage, December 08, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
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the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2006
  Students Recruited for Cybercrime
  Report Estimates Teen Use of Electronic Media
  Former Telecom Exec Charged in E-Rate Fraud

STUDENTS RECRUITED FOR CYBERCRIME
According to a new report from computer security firm McAfee, gangs of
criminals are recruiting college students to do the dirty work of
cybercrimes. In an annual report, McAfee compared the gangs' tactics
to those of agents working for the USSR during the Cold War, saying
that recruiters scan computer clubs and other online venues looking for
individuals with strong aptitude for technology. Those people, many of
them undergraduates, are brought in to the criminal gang, where they
write viruses, commit identity theft, and launder money. McAfee said
the growing business of cybercrime is more lucrative than illegal
drugs. "Although organized criminals may have less of the expertise and
access needed to commit cybercrimes," said the report, "they have the
funds to buy the necessary people to do it for them." The report is
based in part on information from the FBI and European intelligence
agencies, according to McAfee.
ZDNet, 8 December 2006
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6141989.html

REPORT ESTIMATES TEEN USE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA

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EDUCAUSE | 6 Dec 2006 22:47

Edupage, December 06, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
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the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2006
  Spam on the Rise (Again)
  Washington State Sees First Spyware Settlement
  MySpace to Screen for Sex Offenders
  Microsoft Set to Release Test Version of Book Search
  Hackers Take Down Naval War College Site

SPAM ON THE RISE (AGAIN)
According to spam-filtering company IronPort Systems, spam doubled from
last year to this year, now representing more than 90 percent of all
e-mail traffic. Much of the increase is attributable to image spam,
which quadrupled over the same period of time and now accounts for
between 25 and 45 percent of all spam. With image spam, text is
converted to graphics, which can be read by individuals who receive
them but not by spam filters on the lookout for words and phrases that
can identify a message as spam. The recent rise in spam comes after the
passage in 2003 of federal legislation intended to limit junk e-mail
and a prediction by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates that same year that
the problem of spam "will be solved by 2006."
CNET, 6 December 2006
http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-6141262.html

WASHINGTON STATE SEES FIRST SPYWARE SETTLEMENT
The state of Washington has reached its first settlement under a new

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EDUCAUSE | 4 Dec 2006 23:43

Edupage, December 04, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2006
  Researchers See Security Risk in Nike + iPod
  VeriSign Keeps Control of .com until 2012
  Taxes Loom for Online Assets

RESEARCHERS SEE SECURITY RISK IN NIKE + IPOD
Researchers at the University of Washington argue that a recently
introduced recreational device poses potentially significant security
risks to anyone who uses it. The device, the Nike + iPod, transmits
data from running shoes to a receiver plugged into an iPod. The data
are used to calculate how far a person has run and how fast. The
researchers said that they were able to collect the information on
another sensor from as far away as 60 feet, and although the data are
encrypted, the researchers were able without much difficulty to read
the unique identifier used by the system. "A bad person could use this
information to compromise your personal privacy and safety," said Scott
Saponas, Jonathan Lester, Carl Hartung, and Tadayoshi Kohno in a
statement. All are from the university's Department of Computer
Science and Engineering. They described several scenarios in which
malicious individuals could cheaply and easily build a network of
sensors that could track people who used the Nike + iPod, providing
information about where they are and when.
The Register, 4 December 2006
http://www.theregister.com/2006/12/04/nike_ipod_security_threat/

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EDUCAUSE | 1 Dec 2006 21:31

Edupage, December 01, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2006
  Legal Center Files Challenge to Blackboard Patent
  Dept. of Education Proposes Expanding IPEDS
  New Rules Require Storing E-Mail
  Yahoo Says No to Google Request for Information
  Manchester Plans Municipal Wi-Fi Network

LEGAL CENTER FILES CHALLENGE TO BLACKBOARD PATENT
A legal center has filed the first formal action against a Blackboard
patent that has caused considerable anxiety in the higher education
community. The patent covers certain aspects of learning management
systems, and Blackboard has filed an infringement lawsuit against rival
Desire2Learn. Many in higher education believe that the patent is too
broad, that it does not account for prior art, and that Blackboard will
use its patent power to stifle innovation. The new complaint, filed by
the Software Freedom Law Center, an open source advocacy group, seeks a
reexamination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The center said
it has provided sufficient prior art to invalidate the patent.
Officials from Blackboard have repeatedly denied any intention of
pursuing patent litigation against the open source community, but they
have also refused to put such claims into writing. According to
Blackboard, the company welcomes the reexamination, saying its patent
will be shown to be valid and will be stronger after the review.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 1 December 2006 (sub. req'd)

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EDUCAUSE | 29 Nov 2006 21:23

Edupage, November 29, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2006
  Study of Laptop Use on Campus Finds Mixed Results
  Copyright Office Issues DMCA Exceptions
  VoIP Left Vulnerable to Hackers
  Novell Withdraws from Hula Open Source Project
  BitTorrent Deals with Studios to Offer Video Online
  Court Says CAN-SPAM Trumps State Laws
  Google Ends Question and Answer Service
  Quick Growth Predicted for Global Mobile Entertainment

STUDY OF LAPTOP USE ON CAMPUS FINDS MIXED RESULTS
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that although
laptop-using students have more flexibility in when and where they
study and spend more time on assignments than students who visit
computer labs, their academic work shows no measurable improvement.
Both groups of students get approximately the same grades. The
researchers discovered that the laptop users spent considerable time on
e-mail, instant messaging, and surfing the Web.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 November 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/11/2006112901t.htm

COPYRIGHT OFFICE ISSUES DMCA EXCEPTIONS
The U.S. Copyright Office granted narrow, three-year exemptions to the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that permit circumvention of

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EDUCAUSE | 27 Nov 2006 23:14

Edupage, November 27, 2006

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2006
  Publishers Criticize Professors for Copyright Violations
  YouTube Stunt Backfires on Students
  Dodging the Censors

PUBLISHERS CRITICIZE PROFESSORS FOR COPYRIGHT VIOLATIONS
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is calling on colleges and
universities to take steps to address what they see as rampant
copyright abuse by faculty. According to the AAP, faculty who post
protected content online for use in their courses cost the publishing
industry at least $20 million each year in lost revenues. Before the
advent of online reserves, faculty would often place hard-copy
materials in the library for students to view. That practice has been
largely replaced by making digital copies of course materials available
online. The publishing industry objects, saying faculty who do this go
beyond the scope of fair use. Allan Adler, vice president for legal and
governmental affairs with AAP, said, "We can't compete with free." The
organization pointed to a recent agreement with Cornell University in
which the institution works to educate faculty on appropriate uses of
copyrighted material and on best practices to avoid infringing uses.
The AAP hopes that other institutions will implement programs similar
to the one Cornell has adopted.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 20 November 2006
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/292898_copyright20.html

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