Two and a half years ago, a hacker broke into a server at Boston College, exposing personal information on a large group of alumni. That incident was “probably the low point of my career,” says David Escalante, the institution’s director of computer policy and security.
But that low point has turned out all right. Within two weeks of discovering the breach, Boston College managed to mail warnings to about 100,000 people, and the institution earned plaudits for its quick response. This week Mr. Escalante spoke at the Security Standard Conference in Chicago, advising other network administrators on how to deal with hacking attacks.
The conference is not focused specifically on colleges, but since so many institutions have suffered from security breaches, it makes sense to have a campus official discuss the topic. Mr. Escalante’s tips could be helpful to both colleges and corporations: According to InfoWorld, he recommends that organizations huddle “like a football team” when they get hacked. IT groups should work closely with public-relations officials and police officers to draw up a coherent crisis-response plan, he says. —Brock Read
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