Indiana University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, Rutgers University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have launched OmniSOC, a cybersecurity operations center, or SOC, that provides rapid, actionable cybersecurity intelligence to its members.
OmniSOC is a pioneering initiative of these Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. The goal is to help higher education institutions reduce the time from first awareness of a cybersecurity threat to mitigation for members.
University campuses offer a cyber criminal’s dream, security experts say.
“With tens of thousands of students, faculty, and staff, university campuses are really like small cities, with sensitive data and powerful computing systems that are coveted by cyber criminals,” says Tom Davis, OmniSOC founding executive director and chief information security officer.
The OmniSOC will help campuses address larger and more complex cybersecurity threats, which often require expertise and rapid response, he adds.
“Campus-by-campus approaches are essential, [but] they are not sufficient for the sophistication of modern cyber risks. The OmniSOC enhances the work of local security professionals to provide greater real-time, sophisticated threat detection, analysis and action for our members.”