Dive Brief:
- Higher education institutions are particularly vulnerable to security breaches because they have a range of personal data in one place and relatively weak cyber security, thanks to the premium placed on information-sharing.
- Campus Technology reports that hiring a chief information security officer who is adept at networking and communication — and giving that hire a place in the c-suite — is critical.
- University Business highlights protections from cyber insurance, through which institutions can get retroactive protections and coverage for losses, liability, and regulatory consequences of security breaches.
Dive Insight:
The act of purchasing insurance forces institutions to review their policies and get strong protections in place. In some ways, that knocks out two birds with one stone, as part of the problem on many campuses is surely that policies are not strong enough. The pace of attacks, however, is almost unreal. Policies are not enough. A dedicated security officer, especially at large institutions, would require further expansion of the administration but the position could pay for itself by avoiding damages. The key is letting that role have real power, not just the ability to take the fall in the event of a problem.