Open Communication And Collaboration Make Campus Networks Vulnerable To Cyberattack

Institutions of higher education face growing threats from cyber attackers. Instances of attacks on universities are increasing, with recent large-scale attacks at some of the country's top universities. Approximately one third of all security breaches take place in higher education; only the health care sector has been breached more often.

A university's computer network is an especially attractive target for hackers because of the sheer volume and range of information stored on it. Moreover, the nature of a higher education institution makes it particularly vulnerable to attacks. Designed to facilitate open communication and collaboration, a campus network is open to thousands of users who have access to a vast amount of personal data, financial records and ongoing academic research with limited barriers. Universities struggle to secure their networks from outside threats while maintaining the level of openness expected by students, staff and faculty.