Dive Brief:
- As part of their strategy to engage students and faculty to take more active and knowledgeable roles in campus cybersecurity, IT leaders should improve training and teach to audience needs to help against data breaches, according to EdTech: Focus on Higher Ed.
- Instructing users about weak passwords and helping stakeholders identify and report suspicious emails are strong first steps in increasing the effectiveness of the campus IT program.
- Building community and departmental liaisons around the idea of cybersecurity helps to win larger groups of stakeholders with concern about data protection.
Dive Insight:
The task seems simple enough, particularly with the growing number of surveys which suggest that faculty and students are more receptive to the potential of technology in teaching and learning. But breaking stakeholders out of personal Internet habits, particularly to meet campus security protocols can be a difficult task; particularly for faculty who frequently reject the necessary training and engagement required to become fully knowledgeable users.
The ambassadors for tech security can typically be recruited from positions of leadership or visibility. Recruiting department chairs or student athletes to promote the importance of safer networking access is a way to convert many students and faculty who otherwise may reject or undervalue the initiative.