The Internet was born and bred on university campuses. The free sharing and exchange of information is a natural fit in a learning and studying environment — which is exactly what the Internet is all about. Unfortunately, networking security was born elsewhere and never got official adoption papers from American universities. Why is it such a challenge to keep university networks secure?
1. Universities Thrive on the Open Exchange of Information
University campuses are buzzing with students, faculty, staff, and guests from all over the world. They bring tons of different devices, all populated with an incredibly diverse set of apps. Students, instructors, and visitors come to share information, learn what they can from others, and spread the information they bring to new people. Universities are loathe to lock down this open sharing, even in light of several significant security breaches on US campuses last year, including those at the University of California in Berkeley, the University of Connecticut, and prestigious Harvard University.
2. Universities Have Little Control Over the Devices Used by Students & Faculty
University campuses are like the ultimate BYOD environment. While most businesses can establish BYOD policies that limit certain devices or apps with known security issues, universities usually have little or no control over what devices access their networks. All of the nightmares that plague corporate BYOD policies are in play on university campuses, often without the authority to limit the vulnerabilities.
3. Universities Hold Much of the Same Sensitive Information Targeted in the Business World
All of the “pay dirt” that hackers and identity thieves covet in corporate systems are also available in university databases, only with less security to hack through. Universities hold names, addresses, social security numbers, credit and debit card numbers — all of the fodder used for identity theft. While universities are held to the same security standards as businesses, they are still dealing with an open mentality that makes stealing the same data easier here than in the business realm.
4. University Networks Make Good Routing Points for Attacks on Other US Targets
Students, faculty members, and campus guests come from all over the world.
Universities have little control over what devices these people bring, what apps they use on their devices, and other aspects related to the practice of BYOD.
In addition to being easy targets, a lack of university networking security makes them vulnerable to becoming a jumping-off point for attacks levied against other targets. This has happened to other universities, and experts believe these kinds of attacks will be an ongoing threat to universities heading into the future.
5. Good Security Isn’t Easy & Isn’t Cheap
Finally, budgets are a challenge for universities. Rigorous security software, next-generation firewalls, monitoring solutions, and IT security experts aren’t cheap. Without the spending in place, university networking security will continue to be problematic.
Fortunately, universities do have a solution that is affordable and protects against all types of insider threats as well as external threats, such as hackers leveraging university networks as botnets for launching attacks. Request a quote from Turn-Key Technologies today.
