Duke Among Universities Targeted by Hackers

Duke was one of dozens of universities targeted earlier this week by a "hacktivist" group attempting to access university servers.

Richard Biever, the university's IT security officer, said two Duke servers were targeted. His office worked with the affected departments to address the issue and update network protections. The targeted databases contain no sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, NetID passwords, bank account numbers or credit card numbers, Biever said.

Duke blocks about 8 million attacks per month using a variety of programs and systems to detect and protect against attacks. "This reminds us how we, as a community, need to be vigilant in our efforts to protect Duke's data," Biever said.

He reminded members of the campus community that, as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Duke's IT Security Office is sponsoring a contest to help faculty, staff and students keep their computers healthy. Duke users can take an online quiz to test their digital savvy and be entered in a raffle to win an iPad. Related events this month include "health checks" for Duke computers at various campus locations and a panel on data security for international travelers. Details are available at http://www.security.duke.edu.