September marks the start of the UK academic year, with universities across the country opening their doors to a new intake of students and faculty – but they also welcome in a new wave of cyber threats, according to one expert.
Gregg Hardie, Public Sector Director at SailPoint states that with so much data at stake, from personal and financial data to cutting-edge research, universities must prepare for a wave of sophisticated attacks.
He believes that during this time it is vital that processes around onboarding and offboarding are kept as watertight as possible.
“As we enter September, universities across the country will open the doors to a new intake of students – but one thing they must be prepared for, now more than ever, are cyber-attacks,” says Hardie.
“Educational institutions are prime targets for cyber criminals, as they hold not only valuable personal and financial data but also cutting-edge research and IP. What’s more, the large, often unmonitored and loosely managed pool of identities—including students, staff and visitors—moving in and out of systems from anywhere, from any device, adds increased cyber risk.
“Given the rate at which different identities are joining, moving or leaving every term, it is vital that processes around onboarding and offboarding are monitored and updated regularly to keep internal systems as secure as possible. Tools like AI-driven identity security can help universities keep track of user access and detect suspicious behaviour. A unified approach to identity security is critical in enabling educational institutions to safeguard their digital identities.”
