EDUCAUSE Policy Interesting Reads

With our "Interesting Reads" blog posts, the EDUCAUSE Policy Office highlights recent articles on federal policy issues and developments that are directly relevant to members or provide insights on higher education policy in general.

• The Ethical Social Network, Inside Higher Ed, April 3, 2018. (The Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory (HASTAC) is considered one of the oldest social networks on the internet.It's also remained relatively scandal free, despite the uptick in data misuse allegations other networks have weathered.)
• Here comes the next round of encryption legislation, Cyber Scoop, April 3, 2018. (Senate Judiciary Committee Staff are working with the technology community to produce legislation addressing encryption issues, such as the issue of "going dark.")
• Microsoft calls for dismissal of U.S. Supreme Court privacy fight, Reuters, April 3, 2018. (A new law making clear that U.S. judges can issue warrants for data stored by companies in foreign countries has rendered the ongoing dispute between Microsoft and the U.S. Justice Department moot.)
• States Take a Look at Online Learning Prices, Inside Higher Ed, April 4, 2018. (Legislatures in various states have taken action to address the price of online learning, or to incentivize institutions to invest less in their online programs.)
• Online Learning Shouldn't be 'Less Than,' Inside Higher Ed, April 4, 2018. (Although online courses have become more common, stigma still exists around virtual learning.)
• South Dakota Breach Notification Law Breaks New Ground,Covington, April 3, 2018. (South Dakota has passed a new data breach notification law, requiring notification for state residents, the state attorney general, and major consumer reporting agencies when a breach occurs; the bill goes further than other comparable state laws.)
• Crypto mining: Latest frontier in campus network security, Education Dive, April 5, 2018. (The emerging field of crypto mining raises many questions for institutions of higher education, including how to tailor campus policies to address bad actors and, on the flip side, how to use the technology to further postsecondary learning.)

Kathryn Branson is an associate with Ulman Public Policy.