How Higher Education Became The Target Of Bots, Fake Accounts And Online Fraud
Guy Tytunovich
January 20, 2023
Guy Tytunovich is the founder and CEO of CHEQ, a leader in go-to-market security.
Higher education is in a state of drastic transition. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, colleges and universities have had to rapidly adapt to the challenges posed by the virus, moving to online or hybrid learning models and building the processes and infrastructure to support online education.
For many students, this change has been a boon, broadening access to institutions previously out of reach due to time or location constraints. But another group has also benefited: bots and fraudsters looking to take advantage of colleges and universities.
As the higher education industry becomes more reliant on technology, it’s also becoming more vulnerable to fraud. The simultaneous increase in online enrollment and reduction in requirements for physical interaction has opened the door for bots masquerading as real students to defraud universities and harm their reputation, bottom line and even legal standing.
