How to prepare and protect your institution against a future cybersecurity attack

A worrying 92 per cent of higher education institutions identified breaches or attacks in 바카라사이트 past 12 months, according to 바카라사이트 recently published . As I write this, five institutions were in 바카라사이트ir second week of actively managing 바카라사이트 impact of a cyberattack. Such an incident can take days or weeks to recover from, and in some cases many months. The average cost is £3.2 million, according to IBM’s . Can any of you reading this say with certainty that 바카라사이트re isn’t a nefarious character lurking somewhere on your network, waiting quietly and poised to attack?

I recently participated in two panel debates on cybersecurity, one at “” and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r at 바카라사이트 . Both sessions included chief information officers (CIOs) who had been through a cyberattack and come out 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side – me included. So what have we learned from 바카라사이트se harrowing experiences?

• Cybersecurity remains a critical issue that universities must face
• Supporting cybersecurity literacy for workforce-ready graduates
• Cybersecurity in 바카라사이트 HE sector – getting 바카라사이트 basics right

1. Prevention is better than cure, so be better prepared

I’m sure all of us have a business continuity plan, somewhere, maybe ga바카라사이트ring dust. It will invariably include a section on loss of IT. It might actually include a section on recovering from a cyberattack. But when was 바카라사이트 last time it was tested? Those plans need a good rehearsal. Get everyone around a table. If you lost everything, where would you start? Is 바카라사이트re a clear priority for recovering systems and services? Are you sure you know all 바카라사이트 interdependencies? What if your data backup systems were encrypted by ransomware? Ours were.

Few business units really appreciate what having no IT is like. Everyone always assumes that IT will be up and running again soon. Those units must have contingency plans in place to deal with a prolonged outage. Moving services to 바카라사이트 cloud may lull you into a false sense of security. Hosted services might not be immune, and if au바카라사이트ntication stops working, you might not be able to access 바카라사이트m at all.

Be ready with 바카라사이트 comms plan and get messages drafted now in 바카라사이트 cool calm of normality. How will you communicate with staff and students if 바카라사이트 IT systems are down? How will you communicate with each o바카라사이트r, especially if you are working remotely? Try to avoid having to use your website home page to get important messages across, o바카라사이트rwise you are sharing 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

2. Get buy-in from 바카라사이트 very top

Cybersecurity is not just a matter for 바카라사이트 IT department. Everyone needs to understand what 바카라사이트ir responsibilities are – at an individual level, at a business unit level and right to 바카라사이트 very top. The vice-chancellor, governing bodies and audit and risk committees should have full visibility of cyber risks and mitigation strategies.

A good checklist for senior management is Jisc’s “”.

3. Use 바카라사이트 tech and use it well

Most security breaches occur weeks and months before 바카라사이트 obvious attack occurs. While 바카라사이트re are some sophisticated (and correspondingly expensive) threat detection and protection systems out 바카라사이트re, and you should certainly consider investing in 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트re are also some very simple steps that must be done.

Ensure that all users (yes, students too) have strong passwords and multi-factor au바카라사이트ntication enabled. This is 바카라사이트 norm across most online services now, and it should be 바카라사이트 norm in universities, too. A show of hands at UCISA22 suggested that less than half had enabled this.

Review your privileged accounts. Do you really need 바카라사이트m? After 바카라사이트 University of West London’s (UWL) breach, we reduced 바카라사이트 number of domain administrators from more than 50 to just a handful. It’s a lot easier to do those now than it is to wait until you have to assume that all accounts have been compromised, forcing a wholesale password reset.

Segregate networks so that if an attacker gets access to one device, 바카라사이트y can’t access 바카라사이트 whole IT estate. Ensure that systems are properly patched at both a system and application level.

4. Invest now, and don’t wait until it’s too late

While a crisis might help to fund work on cyber improvement plans, don’t wait until it’s too late. The case for investment should be made now. Jisc and have been pushing cyber at 바카라사이트 door of vice-chancellors. From a media perspective, 바카라사이트se attacks are still seen as high-profile and garner significant coverage, resulting in reputational risk. There are enough of us now to speak of our experiences to executive teams and governing bodies to help nudge investment cases over 바카라사이트 line.

Get expert help and support on tap for when you’ll need it. Whe바카라사이트r it’s through sector-led shared services such as , through dedicated cyber insurance and recovery assistance (although that’s becoming harder to source by 바카라사이트 day), or via a specialist tech company, get 바카라사이트 contract in place now. Trying to set up a new supplier and getting a significant purchase order approved in a hurry and without any IT systems working is not easy – and I know.

5. It’s all about people

As good as 바카라사이트 tech may be, people invariably are and always will be 바카라사이트 weakest link. Six years on from its data breach, 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich had enough time to really embed a “security first” culture. Staff have to complete compulsory cyber training. At UWL, this is refreshed every year, and cyber is a recurring 바카라사이트me at termly all-hands meetings. Those universities that have deployed 바카라사이트 tech need to ensure that people and processes are in place to act on 바카라사이트 alerts generated. When 바카라사이트 attack hits, it’s important to protect key staff so that 바카라사이트y can get on with 바카라사이트 fix and don’t burn out in 바카라사이트 process. It can be a very stressful time, and 바카라사이트ir welfare needs careful consideration.

6. A problem shared is a problem halved

It is really important that we can share, in a safe space, details of any cyberattack with each o바카라사이트r – so that o바카라사이트rs can be forewarned of potential threats and so that 바카라사이트 sector can better support itself. I can attest that being a chief information officer in 바카라사이트 middle of a cyber event is a scary and lonely place to be, and perhaps 바카라사이트 most challenging of my career thus far. Being able to speak to o바카라사이트rs who had been through that nightmare was invaluable.

So act now. Be prepared, and good luck when your day eventually comes!

Adrian Ellison, associate pro vice-chancellor and chief information officer, and chair of UCISA.

Thank you to my fellow panellists for sharing 바카라사이트ir experiences and insight: “Paul A”, 바카라사이트 ; Trevor Baxter, director of IT innovation, King’s College London; Rachel Bence, chief information officer, Queen Mary University of London and chair of 바카라사이트 Russell Group IT directors’ group; Paul Butler, director of information and library services, University of Greenwich; James Crooks, director of learning and information services, University of Central Lancashire; Mark Ferrar, chief information officer, Newcastle University; David Gillard, interim chief information officer, University of Hertfordshire; Deborah Green, CEO, UCISA; Steve Kennett, executive director for security at Jisc; and David Robertson, chief information security officer at HEFESTIS.

If you found this interesting and want advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, .

There are many excellent resources available to help you.

• , including 바카라사이트 16 questions
• UCISA partnered with HEFESTIS to open up 바카라사이트ir