Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Spring 2024
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Information Technology and Administrative Management
Committee Chair
Dr. Robert Lupton
Second Committee Member
Jarad Schraeder
Abstract
The internet revolutionized global communication, enabling rapid messaging to thousands. This also means that malicious communication can happen quickly as well. In higher education, cyber risk has reached unprecedented levels due to the increased interconnectivity facilitated by the internet—it is one of the most cyber-attacked industries worldwide. Establishing robust preventative practices to safeguard sensitive data and maintain trust within the educational community is crucial. Preventative practices must be in place to ensure that suppliers and businesses follow specific security and privacy rules to warrant secure communication. Ensuring supplier compliance with security and privacy rules is critical to safeguarding student data, legal adherence, risk mitigation, supplier accountability, and maintaining trust within the educational community. For this reason, over 150 colleges and universities use the Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT), a detailed 256-question questionnaire to identify any security and privacy practices that are or are not followed. This study aims to simplify and facilitate this preventative risk assessment industry-standard practice for suppliers and higher education institutions by streamlining this complicated and lengthy assessment process, thereby enhancing security and fostering collaboration.
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