News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

College Student Video Contest Improves Computer Security Awareness

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 1, 2007 -- The EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and
Network Security Task Force, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and
ResearchChannel have announced six winners of a computer security awareness
video contest, as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of and
increase computer security at colleges and universities.

The contest drew video submissions on cyber security issues from a wide
array of colleges and universities throughout the country. Using lively
vignettes and campus-based scenarios, the short videos and public service
announcements explain computer security problems and actions students should
take to safeguard their computers and personal information.

"We are encouraging colleges and universities to incorporate these student
videos into their orientation programs for first-year students and ongoing
security awareness campaigns for returning students," said Rodney Petersen,
EDUCAUSE government relations officer and security task force coordinator.
"Since the largest group falling victim to identity theft is men and women
between the ages of 18 and 29, it is important for college and university
students to understand the risks of being online and how to protect their
personal information, computer, and campus networks."

This year's winners include:
-- "Avoid Infection" by Joseph Ellis and Eric Collins, University of
Delaware
-- "Whoa, That's Awkward" by Evan Michals, Dartmouth College
-- "When You Least Expect It" by Nolan Portillo, California State University
- Bakersfield
-- "Identity Theft for Criminals" by Scott Polcyn and Daniel Garcia,
University of Central Florida
-- "Out in the Open" by Mark Lancaster, Texas A&M University
-- "A Short Film About Data Protection" by Chris Herbein, Guy Hershberger,
Joseph Iacona, Joshua Bucknor, and Maurizio Bertone, Pennsylvania College of
Technology

These videos are now available for free download from ResearchChannel at
http://www.researchchannel.org/securityvideo2007/ for colleges,
universities, and other organizations to broadcast, make available for
downloading, and use in security orientations, sports halftime events or
however they see fit.

Part of a national public service announcement campaign, the National Cyber
Security Alliance has chosen Nolan Portillo's Bronze Award winning video,
"When You Least Expect It," to incorporate into a large national campaign to
run on universities and high school TV broadcast channels to underscore the
importance of Internet safety and security precautions.

"Educating the higher education community about the risks and precautions to
take while using the Internet is an integral part of our mission to raise
awareness on cyber security issues nationwide," said Ron Teixeira, executive
director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. "It is for this reason
that we proudly support the video contest because it not only reaches an
essential audience of Internet users, but it also engages college students
to promote understanding of online threats to their peers at a grassroots
level."

For information on terms of use or to download the six award-winning videos
for free, visit the ResearchChannel at
http://www.researchchannel.org/securityvideo2007/

For information on the extensive security resources developed for higher
education by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task
Force, see http://www.educause.edu/security

About EDUCAUSE
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher
education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The
current membership comprises more than 2,100 colleges, universities, and
educational organizations, including 200 corporations, with 16,500 active
members. EDUCAUSE has offices in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
Learn more about EDUCAUSE at http://www.educause.edu/.

About Internet2
Internet2 is the foremost U.S. advanced networking consortium. Led by the
research and education community since 1996, Internet2 promotes the missions
of its members by providing both leading-edge network capabilities and
unique partnership opportunities that together facilitate the development,
deployment and use of revolutionary Internet technologies. By bringing
research and academia together with technology leaders from industry,
government and the international community, Internet2 promotes collaboration
and innovation that has a fundamental impact on the future of the Internet.
For more information visit: http://www.internet2.edu

About National Cyber Security Alliance
A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the National Cyber Security
Alliance (NCSA) is a central clearinghouse for cyber security awareness and
education for home users, small businesses, and the education community. A
public-private partnership, NCSA sponsors include the Department of Homeland
Security, Federal Trade Commission, and many private-sector corporations and
organizations. For more information, and to review the top 8 cyber security
practices, visit http://www.staysafeonline.org.

About ResearchChannel
ResearchChannel is a nonprofit media and technology organization that
connects a global audience with the research and academic institutions whose
developments, insights, and discoveries affect our lives and futures.
ResearchChannel was founded in 1996 by leading research and academic
institutions so they could share the work of their researchers with the
public while collectively participating in advanced distribution and
interactive technology experiments. Programs are shared in their original
form, unmediated and without interruption. Today, more than 50 institutions
participate as members and affiliates, and that number continues to grow.
Through cable and satellite distribution, ResearchChannel is available to
more than 22 million U.S. households. The ResearchChannel Web site, with
users in over 70 countries worldwide, provides programs on demand and
through a live Webstream. The online video library houses more than 3,000
full-length programs.

Media contact:
Lauren Rotman