Some Cybersecurity questions for Colleges & Universities
- What are the top cybersecurity threats faced by our institution?
- Have we conducted a comprehensive risk assessment to identify our vulnerabilities?
- How do we prioritize cybersecurity risks, and what measures can we take to mitigate them?
- How frequently should we reassess our cybersecurity risks, and who is responsible for this?
- How do we protect sensitive personal information, including student, faculty, and staff data?
- What encryption methods are in place for data at rest and in transit?
Cyberattacks that have impacted Colleges & Universities
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) - 2020
- Type of Attack: Ransomware
- Monetary Damages: $1.14 million ransom paid
- Details: UCSF, a major research institution, was hit by a ransomware attack in 2020. The attackers encrypted systems used by the university’s medical school and demanded a ransom to unlock them. UCSF negotiated with the attackers and ended up paying a ransom of $1.14 million in Bitcoin to retrieve its files. The incident disrupted important medical research, including COVID-19-related studies.
- Impact: The attack resulted in the temporary shutdown of several IT systems and delayed ongoing research.
University of Utah - 2020
- Type of Attack: Ransomware
- Monetary Damages: $457,000 ransom paid
- Details: In July 2020, the University of Utah was attacked by ransomware that targeted its College of Social and Behavioral Science. To prevent the attackers from leaking stolen data, the university paid a $457,000 ransom. The institution was able to restore its systems from backups, but paid the ransom to avoid public exposure of sensitive student data.
- Impact: The attack caused disruptions in accessing IT systems, and the institution suffered reputational damage alongside financial losses.
University of Colorado - 2021
- Type of Attack: Data Breach (Accellion vulnerability)
- Monetary Damages: Ongoing investigations, unknown financial impact
- Details: The University of Colorado suffered a major data breach in early 2021 due to a vulnerability in the Accellion file transfer system. Attackers gained access to over 310,000 records, including personal information such as health data and student records. The university was among several institutions affected by the vulnerability in Accellion’s systems.
- Impact: The university faced significant reputational damage, legal risks, and costs associated with incident response and compliance with breach notification laws. The financial impact is still under investigation.
University of Vermont Health Network - 2020
- Type of Attack: Ransomware
- Monetary Damages: Estimated $63 million in recovery costs
- Details: In 2020, the University of Vermont Health Network (UVMHN) was hit by a ransomware attack that took down its IT systems, including electronic health records (EHR) and patient billing systems. The recovery process took several weeks, during which time the institution had to revert to manual record-keeping, leading to significant financial losses and disruptions.
- Impact: UVMHN faced an estimated $63 million in recovery costs, which included IT repairs, operational disruptions, and revenue losses due to delayed services.
key cybersecurity frameworks and services that can help!
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
Overview: Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this is one of the most widely used cybersecurity frameworks. It provides a risk-based approach to managing and mitigating cybersecurity risks, based on five key functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
Benefits for Universities:
- Flexible and scalable to the size of the institution.
- Helps assess and manage cybersecurity risks.
- Provides a structured framework for improving incident response and recovery.
- Ideal for integrating cybersecurity into existing university governance and IT policies.
ISO/IEC 27001
Overview: ISO/IEC 27001 is an internationally recognized standard for managing information security. It focuses on implementing a formalized Information Security Management System (ISMS) to secure sensitive data.
Benefits for Universities:
- Provides a systematic approach to managing sensitive information.
- Helps universities ensure compliance with privacy and data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, FERPA).
- Encourages continuous improvement in cybersecurity practices through regular audits.
- Supports the protection of student data, research data, and intellectual property.
Critical Security Controls (CIS)
Overview: The CIS Controls are a set of 20 actionable and prioritized security measures designed to defend against the most common cyber threats.
Benefits for Universities:
- Focuses on practical steps to mitigate cyber risks, such as asset inventory, access control, and system monitoring.
- Easy to implement and scalable for institutions of varying sizes.
- Helps institutions create a roadmap for improving their cybersecurity posture with a focus on high-priority areas like patch management and endpoint security.
COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies)
Overview: COBIT is a governance and management framework that helps organizations manage IT and cybersecurity in alignment with their business goals. It’s especially useful for managing cybersecurity risks in higher education institutions.
Benefits for Universities:
- Provides a structured approach to integrating cybersecurity with overall university governance.
- Ensures that cybersecurity efforts align with academic, research, and administrative priorities.
- Focuses on compliance, risk management, and governance, making it a useful tool for larger institutions.
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