By Doros Hadjizenonos, Regional Director Southern Africa, Fortinet 

With 2023 university applications already being wrapped up and institutions preparing to accept tens of thousands of new students in a matter of months, now is an opportune time to consider cyber security readiness on campus.

First year students are now gearing up for university life with an array of networked technologies, while administrators and faculty are preparing to onboard and manage these new students. For both students and staff, cyber security has to be a top priority to make the 2023 academic year a safe and productive one.

As higher education emerges from the past two years’ disruptions to the traditional education and campus environment, many colleges and universities are eager to get back to the model that has students on campus for the in-person experience. Others, however, are exploring hybrid models to expand their reach and flexibility. On both on-campus and hybrid learning scenarios, digital platforms are critical, and these have become a target for cyber attackers.

Why cyber security is crucial

Cybersecurity is a top-of-mind concern for higher education IT leaders. Education institutions struggle against threats of ransomware, hacking, phishing and social engineering as they work to protect sensitive research and student data. Cyber attacks can have serious compliance implications, interrupt operations, and could also impact a school’s reputation and revenues.

The challenge is compounded by the cyber security skills shortage, particularly as education institutions can be at a disadvantage when competing with employers in the tech sector to hire information security professionals.

Identifying cybersecurity as a top-of-mind issue does not always equal action. The Collegis Education ebook Higher Ed Cybersecurity Landscape: 2022 states, “While there’s no magic bullet to prevent all incidents, understanding widespread vulnerabilities, common types of cyber attacks and how to prevent them can help your institution develop solid security strategies to safeguard data and resources.” 

Bolstering security

As institutions move to grow further into the digital realm, the CISO is the key enabler to drive the necessary actions and solutions to support the introduction of more digital channels and deliver an acceptable return on the security investment.  

CISOs should be playing to their strengths as communicators as they talk to the CIO, campus leaders, the Deans, Directors and other influencers. They should be also sending their own note to faculty, researchers, staff and students addressing their cyber needs.

They need to have a table at strategic level, where administrators and leaders define the new normal for education, and future strategies for hybrid learning in order to find a way to connect those conversations to reducing the campus mean time metrics for detection and remediation. 

Cybersecurity for universities requires a unified solution that expands to all campuses and helps meet compliance. The Fortinet Security Fabric mesh architecture is designed to create a collaborative ecosystem of security tools operating across the digital infrastructure. This broad, integrated, and automated approach not only alleviates the strain on lean IT teams but also helps them achieve their ultimate goal: delivering a network that streamlines education while securing students.