Risks to future technology-licensing income

• universities license patents in many science/engineering areas
• typically, biotechnology licenses result in the highest income
• example: FSU gets $60 million/year for anti-cancer drug Taxol
• intellectual-property theft risk affects MIT Biology department
• that is, successful attack there would have "greatest dollar loss"

• vulnerability reports usually go to department's IT staff
• for Biology, reports also go to Administrative Officer
• Administrative Officer has authority over connectivity shutoffs
• helpful to IS to engage department in managing its own risk
• concern is not only technology theft; also network disruption
• thus far, no evidence that attackers try to steal biotechnology
• better funded attackers might know more about evading detection

Copyright 2000, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.