The Weekly Snapshot

Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the National Center.

Protecting Your Institution's Electronic Information

According to the Student and Employee's Electronic Information brief, written by the Vermont Intelligence Center (VIC) and the Center for Internet Security (CIS), most college and university networks employ an open structure making them harder to secure. With thousands of students and staff members logging in with their own computers, the external shells of these systems must remain somewhat penetrable. CIS studied 166 incidents reported and/or documented in open source databases between 2012 and 2013 in which an attack by an external, malicious actor led to a data breach. Malicious actors targeted educational institutions in 46% of these incidents. Training students and personnel about cyber attacks, such as phishing and wateringhole attacks, may help reduce the likelihood of successful attacks via these methods.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), a time when institutions of higher education may participate in weekly campaigns to engage and educate their employees and students about cyber security. StaySafeOnline.org provides information on what college administrators can do to help ensure students, faculty and staff stay safe and secure online and the Stop.Think.Connect. National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign offers a Resource Guide with all the tools necessary for students, educators, government, law enforcement and many others, to be more vigilant about practicing safe online habits.

Building and Maintaining Successful Community Relations

Trust is the foundation of a successful partnership or relationship between public safety organizations, including campus public safety, and the diverse and multicultural communities they serve. These relationships are essential to the creation and sustainment of safe, supportive and socially just communities, and prove mutually beneficial for both public safety officials and their communities for the following reasons:

Public safety officials will gain a deeper understanding of the unique citizens they serve, including persons with various cultural backgrounds and identities. With this understanding, public safety officials can effectively communicate and connect with their citizens to help prevent and solve crime and promote safe and healthy behaviors.
Community members will have a better appreciation for public safety and the numerous services they provide. Regardless of race, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability, citizens will feel more comfortable reaching out to public safety officials with tips and information, safety concerns, and to receive assistance during a crisis or non-emergency incident.

Please visit the National Center website for several pertinent resources to include guides, publications, best practices, training and educational materials to assist public safety and law enforcement officials in their efforts to build and maintain successful relationships with their communities.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Another month, another cause. That's probably the reaction many people have these days as we are bombarded with ribbons and proclamations. However, domestic violence awareness month is closely tied to the White House's initiatives, www.notalone.gov and "It's On Us", to combat sexual violence across campuses nationwide.

The statistics about domestic violence are startling.

Women aged 20-24 are at greater risk of becoming domestic violence victims.
One in four women and one in seven men will be a victim of domestic violence.
One in three female homicide victims was murdered by her current or former partner.

As the National Network to End Domestic Violence says, "Dating violence

is domestic violence." This is critical information we need to be aware of on our campuses as we work to reduce sexual violence. For more information on dating violence, please visit the "1 is 2 Many" campaign from the White House Task Force.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.