Cybersecurity

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Introduction

The higher education sector plays an important role in the cybersecurity of America. Through its core mission of teaching and learning, higher education is the main source of future leaders, innovators, and the technical workforce. Through research, higher education is the basic source of much of our new knowledge and future technologies. Colleges and universities also operate some of the world's largest collections of computers and high-speed networks. This resource page provides information related to all aspects of cybersecurity for higher education, with an emphasis on strategies, policies, and other tools that will assist institutions of higher education to prevent, detect, and respond to vulnerabilities that threaten college and university computers and networks.

EDUCAUSE is actively involved with this area through the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Higher Education Information Security Council (formerly the Security Task Force).

Information Security Guide: Effective Practices and Solutions for Higher Education

The Information Security Guide: Effective Practices and Solutions for Higher Education is now available in wiki format. This resource provides practical approaches to preventing, detecting, and responding to security problems in a wide range of higher education environments. This online service is designed with colleges and universities in mind, balancing our need for security with the need for an open, collaborative networking environment. Also, because one of the overarching concerns in college and university information technology (IT) departments is a lack of resources, an effort is made to provide low-cost solutions. The target audiences are those responsible for information security in colleges and universities and information technology staff who implement and manage security measures. Recognizing that many institutions have initiated or are in the process of developing IT security programs and policies, an effort is made throughout this resource to present practices that are useful at each stage of the developmental process.

As a community-driven, community-serving project, it is important for this initiative to incorporate experiences and perspectives from many different institutions. To contribute case studies that have been effective in your institution, please contact security-council@educause.edu.

Events Calendar

View past and future security-related events.

Latest News

Five Pilot Projects Receive Grants to Promote Online Security and Privacy

InCommon will be heavily involved in a $1.8 million grant awarded to Internet2 to build a consistent and robust privacy infrastructure. Partners include Carnegie Mellon, Brown, University of Texas...

Virginia Tech First to Achieve Bronze and Silver Assurance

Virginia Tech has become the first identity provider to achieve Bronze and Silver certification as part of the InCommon Assurance Program.

Recommended IAM Sessions at EDUCAUSE 2012

The annual EDUCAUSE Conference in Denver will provide an opportunity to explore the range and depth of issues that campuses must consider as they build...

Recommended Security & Privacy Sessions at EDUCAUSE 2012

Find a variety of E12 security and privacy-related sessions in Denver or online.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2012 is HERE!

Find resources and see what other campuses are doing this October for NCSAM.

Policy Matters NCSAM Article (Sep/Oct 2012)

NCSAM article in the latest EDUCAUSE Review offers resources and suggestions for campuses to support security awareness efforts in October.

Library Items on this Topic

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EDUCAUSE Library Items for Cybersecurity

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Protecting the Security of Research Data: November 8, 2011

The effective protection and management of research data has become a hot topic in U.S. higher education. Funding agencies increasingly require data management plans as part of grant submittals…
Information Confidentiality: March 11, 2009

Protecting information confidentiality is a critical security objective for all colleges and universities. Institutions must deploy confidentiality controls in addition to security controls, and…
Information Security Governance: Standardizing the Practice of Information Security: August 19, 2008

This ECAR research bulletin discusses the trend to use a variety of risk assessment frameworks and standards to create an information security program that is sufficiently comprehensive for colle…
IT Security Officer Survey: April 9, 2008

This April 2008 survey is a critical component of the EDUCAUSE Center on Applied Research (ECAR) study of information security officers in higher education. It seeks to understand the important c…
Managing IT Risk in Higher Education: A Methodology: March 18, 2008

This research bulletin presents a methodology, used successfully at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) in Australia, for managing and assessing risks related to information technology sys…
Local IT Security for Colleges, Schools, and Departments: A Higher Education Perspective: December 5, 2006

This bulletin discusses some of the lessons learned by the Emory College, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in developing its information technology security strategy, as well as what other schools g…
Most Improved: How Four Institutions Developed Successful IT Security Programs: November 3, 2006

Researchers conducted this in-depth case study to complement the ECAR study, Safeguarding the Tower: IT Security in Higher Education 2006. The case study examines how four higher education instit…
The Virginia Alliance for Secure Computing and Networking (VA SCAN): A Statewide Collaborative IT Security Resource: October 17, 2006

This case study examines ways in which the Virginia Alliance for Secure Computing and Networking (VA SCAN) provides a blueprint for higher education institutions interested in collaboratively pro…
Safeguarding the Tower: IT Security in Higher Education 2006: October 11, 2006

Presentation at EDUCAUSE 2006, October 9-12, 2006, Dallas, Texas. This presentation summarizes the findings of the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research 2006 study of information technology securi…
Baylor University's IT Security Risk Assessment Program: October 12, 2006

This case study examines Baylor University's risk assessment program for information technology security, which was established in the face of the escalating demands that security places on …