How to Prevent Higher Education Cyber Attacks

Disruptions in cybersecurity are becoming more common as higher education institutions increasingly see their technology systems being hacked. Ransomware attacks against colleges and universities doubled over the past year.

As part of the enterprise risk management process, leaders need to consider potential cybersecurity issues. While ransomware is in the news, other worrisome issues such as research security, foreign influence from larger nation-state actors, and evolving threats that have not yet entered the higher education ecosystem, need to be considered.

Research security also is critical. This entails securing both research and intellectual property.

Third-party risk management also is important. Leaders need to know what data is being provided to these third parties and contractually how that third-party will use that information.