More universities and colleges are using Software-as-a-Service (Saas) to support their operations. These institutions are collecting more students’ information electronically.
The issue of weak systems and networks is also posing problems with data security. Higher education must put more effort into protecting data from cybercriminals. Technology has brought several challenges to higher education. Rather than being a speculative possibility, cybersecurity attacks are now an expected trend. Let’s look at these challenges and their solutions.
The risk exposure of higher education
Cybersecurity in higher education remains a challenge because. This is because the institutions vary in size and purpose. As a result, the motives of the attacks can vary too. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are common attacks in institutions of higher learning. The motive of the attackers is to disrupt an institution’s network and affect productivity. There have been cases of teachers and learners carrying out DDoS attacks.
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Common cybersecurity attacks
Phishing
The phishing issues of cybersecurity are becoming so common in higher education. Identifying phishing attacks remains a challenge in many instances. Phishing occurs when a cybercriminal tricks someone into soliciting important information. The attackers could also install malware or viruses into a system. They could do so through suspicious downloads.
The attackers target universities and colleges. This is because it is easier for them to access personal data. The university databases have a lot of students’ details. These include phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers, and so on. Moreover, there is a lack of security in the institutions of higher learning.
Ransomware
After hackers get access to sensitive data, they can hold it for ransom. They demand huge financial payouts to release the data. Financial gain is normally the motive of ransomware attacks. The impact of ransomware becomes significant. The learning institutions have to stop their operations to prevent further attacks.
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Evolving attacks
Technological advancement is making higher education prone to evolving attacks. Such attacks include fileless malware that does not need users to download files. The user does not even need to install any code into their system.
Fileless malware uses tools within a system to perform the attacks. The less legitimate programs will execute dangerous attacks. Your legitimate programs will continue running in the background. Evolving attacks are difficult to detect. This is because they leave no footprint and are a headache for antivirus software.
Solutions
Systems updates
Universities should always look for ways to update their browsers, applications, and operating systems. This is because each update is capable of fixing vulnerabilities. They protect against new threats.
Systems updates are a simple practice that can make a difference in cybersecurity for higher education.
Training
Cybersecurity in universities requires regular training of students and staff. The users must be helped to understand that they play an important role in cybersecurity. Through training, they can prevent ransomware attacks and phishing attempts.
Even if cyber threats happen, they cannot have a major impact on the institutions. Students and teachers may be tech-savvy, but they may still not understand how sophisticated phishing emails are. Providing information to all users about the dangers of phishing is an excellent protection procedure.
Proper preparation
Updating systems and user training may not be the ultimate solution to the problem of higher education cybersecurity. An institution can still face an attack, so it is important to be prepared for any eventuality.
The key stakeholders must have a good ransomware response checklist and an incident response plan. The team can always refer to such plans in case of an incident. Upon the occurrence of an incident, it becomes hard to think straight about the next cause of action. So, pre-vetted response plans and virtual workflows can reduce the chances of chaos and enable users to take the right steps.
Conclusion
Board members and senior management are responsible for protecting information against threats. Students and staff who use the network system daily also have a role to play. By understanding the higher education vulnerabilities, it will be easier for users to develop preventive procedures. The institutions must put in place the relevant infrastructure to keep data and information secure. The goal is to create a stable and secure future for higher education learning.
