In response to a string of hacking incidents that cost several IT officials their jobs, Ohio University has unveiled a 20-point plan to bolster its data security and otherwise improve its computing services.
The plan calls for the university to spend between $5.5- and $8-million revamping its information-technology office, which an independent auditor recently characterized as underskilled and disorganized (The Chronicle, June 23).
Much of that money will be spent on security: The university plans to reduce its reliance on Social Security numbers, to classify online data by the level of security they require, and to build a “perimeter fire wall” that protects campus computers from hackers.
The university will also restructure its beleaguered IT office in an attempt to make the department more responsive to the needs of professors and administrators. —Brock Read
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