When it comes to keeping campus data safe, higher ed IT professionals have their work cut out for them. According to Symantec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report, education accounted for 6.6 percent of all reported cybersecurity incidents in 2015, tying with business as the second-most-breached subsector. The new ranking is one notch higher than it was in the 2015 report. Symantec’s new findings likely confirm what most higher ed IT professionals already know: that cybersecurity breaches are inevitable, and IT must shift its focus from avoidance to anticipation. But that task is too big for the IT department to tackle on its own. It’s important for higher ed institutions to train faculty, staff and students on best practices so they, too, can take responsibility for data security. Learn more by watching the video Cybersecurity Best Practices for Colleges and Universities, and then read how third-party security consultants can help safeguard campus networks. VIDEO BeeBright/ThinkStock
With cybercrime on the increase, higher education institutions need to implement stronger security measures to reduce the risk of hacking or some other form of cyberattack. They cannot afford to relax their guard or have any weak links in their IT security systems as cybersecurity breaches are inevitable, according to EdTech Magazine. This issue was highlighted in a 2016 Internet Security Threat report by Symantec who found that 6.6% of cybersecurity breaches occurred in higher education institutions, putting them on equal footing with businesses as the second-most likely sectors to be attacked. This second place is a step up from their ranking in the 2015 report. The most common type of attack against universities and colleges involves phishing emails sent via social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.