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'Cybersecurity Remains a Critical Issue That Universities Must Face' by Heidi Fraser-Krauss

It’s no surprise that our latest cybersecurity survey shows that universities cite ransomware as the top threat this year. There’s been a huge spike in this type of attack against our sector, with the number of incidents in the first half of 2021 surpassing the total in all of 2020. It’s fair to say that it’s no longer a question of whether an institution will face a cyberattack, but when.

Jisc and partner agencies including the National Cyber Security Centre have, for some time, been advising tertiary education providers on how to defend themselves. …

It’s vital that we work together to reduce risk and strengthen security, and it’s essential that senior leaders get involved. … Vice-chancellors and boards are responsible for ensuring there is protection in place for the cyberspaces within their institutions, but our survey suggests that not all senior leaders are as engaged as they need to be. …

There is no silver bullet for this issue. Reducing the risk is multilayered and requires a range of interventions. We need ongoing government support for critical infrastructure, financial investment from the sector in specialist staff and services and leadership from senior teams to create the conditions to enable change to happen within their institutions.

For more information, read the article.