Information Security in eLearning: A Discussion of Empirical Data on Information Security and eLearning

ELearning systems are increasingly used by educational institutions to support their academic activities. A simple use of an eLearning system is to make materials and notes available to students at anytime and anywhere; more sophisticated uses of eLearning support the interaction and assessment processes. Depending on how eLearning systems are used, information security issues such as intellectual property protection, personal data protection and continuity of service can become significant for educational institutions. However, use of the Internet also creates exposure to information security threats, which may be classified into interruption, interception, fabrication and modification. This paper presents a study of the benefits, growth, implementation and challenges of eLearning today. An online survey was conducted to review eLearning practitioners' perceptions of information security threats; respondents were invited to participate in the survey via e-mail to the 20 Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) mailing list groups related to eLearning in the UK. Using empirical data collected from eLearning practitioners, the relationship between the eLearning entity (users, institution categories, level of information security awareness) and information security threats is discussed. This paper also discusses the perception of information security incidents occurring in eLearning and the impact of information security threats on the different types of users, as well as approaches to information security management. This paper concludes with the suggestion that information security management should be implemented in the preparation of a secured eLearning environment, and draws significant insight from the existing status of information security in eLearning that could be useful for eLearning providers and practitioners.