In an article on the Chronicle’s Web site today, college security experts stress the importance of encrypting data in order to protect sensitive information on laptops, which are often the target of thieves.
The Campus Computing Project, an annual survey of colleges’ information-technology practices, shows that from 2006 to 2007, colleges of all types saw a 3.6-percent increase in the number of stolen computers with sensitive data. The problem is most acute at research universities, according to the survey. Private four-year colleges reported declines in stolen computers with sensitive data. (The survey does not distinguish between stolen laptops and desktops.) Perhaps thieves have an easier time plying their trade at large campuses where people are less likely to question unfamiliar faces. —Andrea L. Foster
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