Much like blended learning has been adopted by higher ed for instruction, blended security helps college and university leaders keep their communities safe when on-campus and online.
Meeting the surging demands of remote connectivity during the pandemic also created additional security risks as users signed in from home and other less secure locations. Some of the IT lessons learned during the crisis can help shape security strategies and implementation now. The challenge for institutions is to fight the threats while protecting the network and ensuring that learning and business functions continue uninterrupted.
Cyber criminals consider higher ed institutions soft targets because of security gaps, trusting students, and valuable items, such as laptops and cell phones. There is also a trove of valuable data—financial, student, faculty—intellectual property, and sensitive research that lure cyber criminals. The increase in remote learning has created additional vulnerabilities as users have moved beyond the traditional network access points.
A case in point occurred in 2020 when cyber criminals hacked Solar Winds, a major software vendor to government and education, and accessed up to 18,000 institutions demonstrating the need for ongoing and rigorous vendor security assessment.
Campus and Online Challenges
Buildings and open areas on campus require adequate security while the online challenge is to protect privacy of everyone on campus as well as the data they generate. Institutional partners and vendors also need access so they need to be vetted and monitored. Higher ed also has serious financial constraints, including declining enrollment and decreases in alumni donations. Whenever there are financial constraints, difficult funding decisions must be made that can put some programs at risk.
The growth of ransomware has been significant, accounting for 80 percent of malware infections in 2020. An ongoing challenge is recruiting IT professionals who can maintain and expand institutions’ cybersecurity abilities. Colleges have to compete with the private sector for IT talent. The ability to recruit and hire IT professionals is critical to adequately addressing network security issues.
Strategies that Strengthen Security
Security strategies for both on-campus and online are similar to ensure security in-person and online. Using emerging technology, such as smart lighting, drone surveillance, personal safety devices and solar powered emergency phones, weapon detection systems, and more can enhance physical safety on campus, while tech enhancements can improve security of campus systems.
- Identifying risks and vulnerabilities requires proactive thinking that can prevent incidents before they occur.
- Higher ed institutions should have baseline minimum security standards as well as a next-level set of higher standards to protect all access.
- Successful detection requires both advanced technology and human vigilance. The school must also move quickly to limit the impact of a breach.
- Using smart technology can increase security efficiency while cutting costs.
“It’s important to colleges and universities to conduct their own SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis right from the start,” said Chief Gary D. Lewis, Jr., director of Campus Safety, Chief of Police at the University of Louisville. “In the aftermath of an incident, it’s an opportunity to reassess and ask some hard questions. How did this happen? What are our vulnerabilities? Where are the gaps? Are we taking advantage of best practices in technology?”
Advanced Cybersecurity for Sophisticated Threats
While some institutions have implemented robust security measures, other institutions are just not prepared. One of the options available to university IT leaders is choosing a professional services partner that is focused on cybersecurity, who can extend network security on-campus and in the cloud. As rapidly as technology advances, hackers find new areas of vulnerability and potential sources of revenue.
The ultimate challenge for colleges and universities is that they have to protect the network while ensuring that users have full access—detecting threats before they happen while keeping costs under control.
Thanks to Verizon for outlining the state of cybersecurity for colleges and universities in “Blended security: Using smart technology to keep higher education institutions safe—online and on campus.”