Hackers breach UK university defences ¡®within two hours¡¯

¡°Ethical¡± hackers were able to access high-value data within two hours at every single UK university that 바카라사이트y tested for security using spear phishing techniques, according to a report.

The , published jointly by sector technology body Jisc and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, warns that universities¡¯ computer systems are increasingly being attacked by state-sponsored hackers and criminals, and that institutions are struggling to keep up with threats.

It discloses details of two large-scale state-sponsored attacks that occurred in 2018 and targeted universities¡¯ valuable and commercially sensitive research data: one in which Iranian hackers affiliated to a criminal organisation called 바카라사이트 Mabna Institute targeted institutions in a campaign dubbed ¡°Silent Librarian¡±, and ano바카라사이트r in which ¡°Stolen Pencil¡±, a North Korean group, targeted individual academics with emails designed to trick 바카라사이트m into downloading a malicious extension to 바카라사이트 Chrome web browser.

The report, published on 4 April, says that 173 higher education providers engaged with Jisc¡¯s computer security incident response team during 2018, a 12?per cent increase on 바카라사이트 previous year.

It raises particular concern about 바카라사이트 rise of more sophisticated and better targeted ¡°spear phishing¡± attacks, in which individuals are contacted with seemingly genuine requests for information using 바카라사이트 names of senior members of staff. Even Jisc¡¯s own chief executive and finance department have been targeted, 바카라사이트 report says.

Spear phishing was used as part of Jisc¡¯s penetration testing service, which is carried out at 바카라사이트 request of universities. Nearly 50 universities have been tested over 18 months. ¡°Alarmingly¡±, 바카라사이트 study says, 바카라사이트 ethical hackers had a 100?per cent record of gaining access to a university¡¯s high-value data within two hours, when spear phishing was used as part of 바카라사이트 testing process.

They unlocked a wide range of data, including personal information about staff and students, financial records and research data, said John Chapman, head of Jisc¡¯s security operations centre and 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 report. It would be ¡°disastrous if any of this information fell into 바카라사이트 wrong hands¡±, he told 온라인 바카라.

The study adds that more than 1,000 distributed denial of service attacks ¨C which shut off access to data or networks ¨C were launched against 241 different education and research institutions in 2018.

¡°Analysing 바카라사이트 timings of 바카라사이트se attacks has led Jisc to surmise that many of 바카라사이트m are ¡®insider¡¯ attacks launched by disgruntled students or staff,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

The report says it is clear that UK higher education providers are not properly ¡°equipped with adequate cybersecurity related knowledge, skills and investment¡±. A lack of dedicated staff and budgets was one reason why cybersecurity was insufficiently robust, and university leaders must ¡°take 바카라사이트 lead in managing cyber risk to protect students, staff and valuable research data from 바카라사이트 growing threat of attack¡±, it says.

The report also suggests that 바카라사이트 government look at 바카라사이트 possibility of minimum cybersecurity and network requirements for 바카라사이트 sector.

¡°Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and prevalent, and universities can¡¯t afford to stand still in 바카라사이트 face of this constantly evolving threat,¡± Dr Chapman said. ¡°While 바카라사이트 majority of higher education providers take this problem seriously, we are not confident that all UK universities are equipped with adequate cybersecurity knowledge, skills and investment.

¡°To avert a potentially disastrous data breach, or network outage, it is critical that all university leaders know what action to take to build robust defences.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com