3. Lax Security in Cloud Computing Setups
The benefits of cloud computing to higher education are numerous, but it brings with it its own set of difficulties to overcome in terms of cybersecurity. With approximately 81 percent of higher education IT leaders planning to increase their cloud spending, according to EdTech Magazine, it’s clear that cloud adoption is growing. Therefore, bolstering your institution’s cloud security is paramount to ensuring that your users’ data is secure.
When it comes to cloud computing access, you can reduce security worries by limiting the use of BYOD devices. Although this is becoming less practical, it can help alleviate the extra headaches involved in verifying that devices are suitably secure. Also, consider requiring two-factor identification for accessing university cloud systems.
4. Personal Devices Left Unprotected
In the university environment, you can count on a great number of devices being left unprotected by their owners. They may not understand the security issues or find themselves too busy to learn about them, let alone deploy the necessary protection.
From smartwatches wirelessly linked to smartphones, to FitBit-style devices storing exercise details of the user to ordinary tablets and laptops, cyber criminals will scan for these devices and take advantage of the ones that have little or zero protection. Newer threats can come from individuals failing to secure their Internet of Things devices as well.
You’ll want to address these risks by mandating that your users receive training on how to safeguard their equipment with robust passphrases and on the importance of changing these passphrases on a regular basis. Your outreach efforts (email reminders, security policy memos, etc.) should explain the risk of data theft when devices are unsecured. Encourage users to download the latest updates to the operating systems of their devices (especially when the change is primarily for security concerns).
5. Phishing Attempts
In Higher Ed, where sharing knowledge with peers is a way of life, open and convenient communication is essential. Unfortunately, it can also lead to weaknesses that cyber criminals love to exploit. One of the most difficult threats to staff off is phishing attacks against your users.
Phishing involves criminals sending a fraudulent email that looks like it’s coming from a legitimate source. This is designed to get unsuspecting recipients to trust the message and click on a link that looks like it’s from, for example, their financial institution. The result could range from identity theft of your faculty, administrators or students to their vital data being locked up with ransomware until the ransom is paid.
Conclusion
To help you address sophisticated and coordinated cyber threats that come on suddenly, it’s a good idea for you to set up a rapid response team in advance. You and your team should meet on a regular basis to rehearse how you will respond to rapidly unfolding events, such as a massive ransomware attack that follows advanced phishing exploits targeting your students, faculty, and administrators.
In addition to implementing advanced encryption and educating users on cyber security policy, setting up an incident response plan “can help reduce the cost of a breach,” noted a report from University Business. In particular, “an incident response team can decrease the average cost of a data breach from $217 to $193.20.” It also noted that Kroll, Inc. reported that a formal response team for cyber incidents can lower the average cost of breaches by as much as $17 per record.
With so many points of access and methods for cyber criminals to infiltrate your university’s computer systems, you have to remain vigilant, testing for weaknesses and staying on top of security best practices. This is a lot of information to keep up with, and chances are you could benefit by consulting with a trusted peer who has gone through similar cyber security issues.
If you have any questions, send Optimal Partners a request today.
[Editor’s note: This piece was originally published on Optimal Partners’ Blog here.]
Dave C. is an author for Optimal Partners Blog.
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