Schools beef up security for web applications
As educators and students turn to internet-based applications that house student ID numbers, grades, and more, security becomes a key concern
By Dennis Carter, Assistant Editor
Schools and colleges are using web apps for more than just eMail.K-12 schools and colleges are adding extra layers of security to web applications that are being used for everything from eMail service to group assignments. The extra security is particularly desired as administrators use the applications to store sensitive information that could compromise student and faculty privacy.Google Apps has risen to prominence in education’s move toward web-based tools that store massive amounts of data and allow for collaboration. Google announced in February that 7 million students—about half of all college students in the U.S.—now use the company’s applications, such as Google Sites, Google Docs, and Gmail.With invaluable information stored online and vulnerable to any hacker who can figure out a single password, administrators are looking for ways to ensure that student and educator data are kept safe with more complex security methods.The widespread use of web-based programs, a trend known as cloud computing, also has required students to remember a host of user names and passwords.This prompts students to jot down user names and passwords on stray pieces on paper in a dorm room or office, which makes their online information
Schools and colleges are using web apps for more than just eMail.
