K-12 Information Security Breaches

Contributed by Shanda Edwards

It is easy to think of information security breaches only happening to huge companies. We assume that these hackers are looking for profitable information. Think again. Hackers vary in their experiences, motivation, and targets. According to Shields (2003), there are three type of hackers—“Script Kiddies” novice wannabe hacker who merely use a program found on the internet to gain access, criminals who utilize stolen information such as credit cards and social security numbers, and cyberterrorists looking to disrupt government functions (2003). The motivation of hackers can stem from a political, criminal, or vandalism drive (Brown & Rycham, 2010). Whereas, the targets of attacks have been reported from businesses (retail/merchant, financial, insurance, etc.), educational institutions, government and military, healthcare (medical providers) and nonprofit organizations.

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