The Association of Test Publishers’ Security Committee (ATPSC) 

Releases Security Survey Report 2013

by Jake Vogt

"The Security Survey Report is the culmination of efforts put into motion in 2012 by ATPSC, which provides a forum to encourage assessment organizations to collaborate in addressing test security concerns.  The goals of the survey were to look in greater depth at organizational investments into security protocols, to gather specific information on the economic impact of security breaches, and to identify the differing views and priorities of assessment-related organizations of various kinds," stated Nikki Eatchel, of Scantron, Co-chair of the ATPSC.

The survey was distributed to approximately 340 potential respondents. A total of 117 responses were received and included in the analysis. 79 of those respondents were identified as certification or licensure groups, 16 were identified as education-based organizations, and 22 were identified as testing vendors.

“Six years ago, the establishment of an ATP Security Committee (ATPSC) signaled awareness of the ever-growing concern about intellectual property theft that compromises assessments.  Since that time, the attention to security concerns within the industry has expanded, with ongoing enhancements to technology available to assessment providers and the test-taker population. This report lays the foundation for several more years of detailed study around the issues related to assessment security. Overall, the testing industry needs to be much more astute not only about how assessments are secured during development, but how they are secured during delivery and maintenance cycles as well,” Eatchel and her Co-Chair Beth Holst of Holst and Associates, note in the introduction and summary of the comprehensive 197 page report.

In addition to the report’s authors, contributors to the survey effort included Jill Burroughs of Pearson VUE; Chuck Friedman of the Association of Social Work Boards; Elizabeth Grater and Denise Roosendaal of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence; James Henderson of Castle Worldwide; and Canda Mueller of Questar Assessment, Inc.

The publication is available in the ATP Bookstore.  ATP members can download the report free of charge under Guidelines and Surveys in the Members Only section of the ATP website.