Cybersecurity for Educational Institutions
Educational leaders and IT and cyber professionals have faced significant challenges over the last several years. The complexities of shifting between in-person, virtual, and hybrid schooling have been met with an increasingly complicated and evolving cyber threat landscape where schools have become primary targets of cyber threat actors (CTAs).
K-12 and higher education institutions don't always have the resources to manage the expansive needs of proactive cybersecurity. In the K-12 Report: CIS MS-ISAC Cybersecurity Assessment of the 2022–2023 School Year, for instance, 81% of K-12 respondents to the 2022 Nationwide Cybersecurity Review (NCSR) said they lack sufficient funding. Approximately the same percentage of respondents cited the increasing sophistication of threats and lack of documented processes as cybersecurity challenges at 59% and 58%, respectively. More than 40% of respondents said that their schools also struggle with a lack of cybersecurity strategy and insufficient numbers of trained cybersecurity personnel.
Top Security Concerns
Educational leaders and IT and cyber professionals have faced significant challenges over the last several years. The complexities of shifting between in-person, virtual, and hybrid schooling have been met with an increasingly complicated and evolving cyber threat landscape where schools have become primary targets of cyber threat actors (CTAs).
K-12 and higher education institutions don't always have the resources to manage the expansive needs of proactive cybersecurity. In the K-12 Report: CIS MS-ISAC Cybersecurity Assessment of the 2022–2023 School Year, for instance, 81% of K-12 respondents to the 2022 Nationwide Cybersecurity Review (NCSR) said they lack sufficient funding. Approximately the same percentage of respondents cited the increasing sophistication of threats and lack of documented processes as cybersecurity challenges at 59% and 58%, respectively. More than 40% of respondents said that their schools also struggle with a lack of cybersecurity strategy and insufficient numbers of trained cybersecurity personnel.
Top Security Concerns
It’s critical to ensure students, parents, employees, staff, and all their data stay safe.
This requires real-time cybersecurity operations that help education organizations monitor, detect, and respond to threats 24x7x365 – not just during school hours. For most institutions, this isn’t something that can be easily managed in-house.
CIS offers many solutions that can help.
Data-Rich Environments and Wide Attack Surfaces
- Improve Your Cyber Defenses with Help from the MS-ISAC®
- Monitor Your Network for Malicious Activity with Albert Network Monitoring and Management
- Gain Real-Time Visibility into Your Endpoints with CIS Endpoint Security Services (ESS)
- Filter False Positives Out of Your Threat Reviews with Managed Security Services (MSS)
- Audit Your Network and Manage Your Vulnerabilities
Outdated Technology
- Streamline Your Implementation of CIS Security Best Practices with CIS SecureSuite®
- Monitor Your Network for Malicious Activity with Albert Network Monitoring and Management
- Gain Real-Time Visibility into Your Endpoints with CIS Endpoint Security Services (ESS)
- Proactively Block Requests to Known Malicious Domains with MDBR+
- Audit Your Network and Manage Your Vulnerabilities
Highly Targeted by Cyber Threat Actors
- Streamline Your Implementation of CIS Security Best Practices with CIS SecureSuite®
- Monitor Your Network for Malicious Activity with Albert Network Monitoring and Management
- Gain Real-Time Visibility into Your Endpoints with CIS Endpoint Security Services (ESS)
- Proactively Block Requests to Known Malicious Domains with MDBR+
- Filter False Positives Out of Your Threat Reviews with Managed Security Services (MSS)
- Subject Your Defenses to a Simulated Cyber Attack with Penetration Testing
- Audit Your Network and Manage Your Vulnerabilities
Lack of Funding and Resources
Cybersecurity Talent Shortage and Lack of Security Awareness
- Improve Your Cyber Defenses with Help from the MS-ISAC®
- Monitor Your Network for Malicious Activity with Albert Network Monitoring and Management
- Gain Real-Time Visibility into Your Endpoints with CIS Endpoint Security Services (ESS)
- Proactively Block Requests to Known Malicious Domains at Bay with MDBR+
- Filter False Positives Out of Your of Your Threat Reviews with Managed Security Services (MSS)
- Subject Your Defenses to a Simulated Cyber Attack with Penetration Testing