Cyberattacks targeting higher education institutions have surged in recent years, posing significant challenges to colleges and universities worldwide. Understanding why these institutions are prime targets and implementing effective defense strategies is crucial to safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining operational integrity.
Increase in Cyberattacks on Higher Education
In 2023, the education and research sector faced the highest number of assaults, averaging 2,507 ransomware attacks weekly, marking a significant increase from previous years. This upward trend underscores the growing vulnerability of higher education institutions to cyber threats.
Furthermore, even though the global market for data security is projected to reach $10.78 billion by 2028 — up from $5.98 billion in 2023 — only 13% of the world had their data protected.
Why Are Colleges and Universities Attractive Targets for Hackers?
Several factors contribute to the appeal of higher education institutions to cyber criminals:
- Abundance of sensitive information: Universities store vast amounts of personal data, including Social Security numbers, financial details and health records of students, faculty and staff. This wealth of information is a lucrative target for identity theft and financial fraud.
- Valuable research data: Many institutions conduct cutting-edge research with significant commercial or national security implications. Cybercriminals seek to steal intellectual property to sell to competitors or foreign entities.
- Open networks and multiple applications: The decentralized nature of university IT systems, with various departments operating their own networks and applications, creates security gaps. This fragmentation makes it easier for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities.
- Unregulated devices: Campuses are filled with personal devices — laptops, smartphones and tablets — connecting to the network. Each unregulated device presents a potential entry point for cybercriminals.
- High turnover rates: The constant influx of new students, faculty and staff creates opportunities for attackers to exploit weak onboarding processes or lapses in cybersecurity awareness. New users may inadvertently expose vulnerabilities, such as weak passwords or outdated devices.
- Collaborative environment: Universities often encourage open-access and information sharing, which can lead to relaxed security measures. This culture of openness, while fostering innovation, creates additional entry points for cyberattacks.
- Legacy systems: Institutions frequently rely on outdated legacy systems for critical operations, such as student records or financial management. These systems are often difficult to secure and more susceptible to exploitation.
- Seasonal activity peaks: Higher education operates on a predictable calendar, with peak periods such as admissions, registration and graduation. Cybercriminals often time their attacks during these busy periods, knowing that institutions may be distracted or overwhelmed.
- Access to federal and grant funding: Universities often receive substantial funding from government grants or research contracts. Cybercriminals may target these funds or seek to disrupt operations to leverage ransomware demands.
- Valuable credentials for sale: Login credentials for university networks can be sold on the dark web. These credentials are particularly valuable because they may provide access to personal information as well as research and institutional resources.
- Lack of cyber preparedness: Many higher education institutions struggle with inadequate cybersecurity budgets and outdated systems, leaving them ill-prepared to defend against sophisticated cyber threats.
3 Common Cyber Threats in Higher Education
Higher education institutions face a variety of cyber threats. Here are some of the most common ones.
- Phishing Attacks
Phishing remains one of the most pervasive threats to universities. Cybercriminals craft deceptive emails or messages that mimic legitimate communications from trusted sources, such as university administration, IT departments or fellow students. These messages often contain malicious links or attachments designed to harvest login credentials, financial information or other sensitive data.
- Ransomware
Ransomware attacks consist of harmful software that encrypts an organization’s data, rendering it inaccessible until a ransom is paid. These attacks can paralyze university operations, including access to research data, student records and online learning platforms.
Cybercriminals often target universities because they rely heavily on continuous access to digital resources and may feel pressured to pay the ransom quickly to restore operations.
- Structured query language (SQL) Injections
SQL injection attacks exploit vulnerabilities in a university’s web applications or databases. Attackers can insert malicious SQL statements into input fields — such as search bars or login forms — to extract, modify or delete sensitive information. Universities are particularly vulnerable to these attacks because they often use multiple interconnected databases to manage academic, administrative and research activities.
Strategies for Higher Education Institutions to Defend Themselves
To combat the rising tide of cyberattacks, higher education institutions can implement the following measures:
- Invest in IT security: Allocating adequate resources to cybersecurity is essential. This includes investing in robust firewalls, intrusion detection systems and encryption technologies, as well as conducting regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
- Develop formal Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) programs: Implementing formal TPRM programs helps institutions identify and assess the cybersecurity risks associated with their vendors and partners, ensuring the security of third-party systems and applications.
- Strengthen physical security measures: Enhancing physical security on campuses, such as implementing access control systems and surveillance cameras, can help prevent social engineering and physical attacks.
- Automate patch management: Implementing automated patch management ensures systems are promptly updated to protect against known and new vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of exploitation by cybercriminals.
- Provide comprehensive cyber education: Educating students, faculty and staff about cybersecurity best practices is vital. This includes training on password management, recognizing phishing attempts and understanding the importance of data privacy.
- Implement network access controls: Controlling access to the network by requiring device registration and authentication can help mitigate the risk posed by unregulated technologies.
- Establish incident response plans: Developing and regularly updating response plans enables institutions to respond swiftly and effectively to cyber incidents, minimizing potential damage.
Safeguarding the Future of Higher Education
As cyberattacks on higher education institutions continue to rise, proactive measures are essential to defend against evolving threats. By prioritizing investments in IT security, educating their communities and implementing robust risk management strategies, institutions can significantly reduce their vulnerability to cybercriminals.
As the Features Editor at ReHack, Zac Amos writes about cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and other tech topics. He is a frequent contributor to Brilliance Security Magazine.
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