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David Gagnon is audit partner and national industry leader for higher education and other not-for-profits at KPMG. Tony Hubbard leads KPMG's government cybersecurity practice. Kathy Cruz is a director in KPMG's government cybersecurity practice.
This op-ed draws in part from an audit insight from KPMG U.S.
After two years of disruption, institutions of higher education are successfully deploying new strategies for growth while navigating the continued challenges from distributed workforces, hybrid learning and ongoing social and economic dynamics. While the sector has been resilient in the face of unheralded challenges, higher education has unique vulnerabilities that make it a prime target for cyberattacks.
College and university boards and leadership teams should be taking proactive steps to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure and educate employees and other key stakeholders about the risk that cyberattacks pose to institutions' finances and reputations.
David Gagnon
Permission granted by KPMG
Some of the cyber risks faced by colleges and universities are a product of unique COVID-era circumstances. Higher education institutions were forced to rapidly build out their digital infrastructure to ensure continuity of learning and working amid the pandemic. While this was necessary, it also created new entry points for cybercriminals to leverage malware and other malicious tactics to extract data, force ransom payments and wreak havoc.
Tony Hubbard
Permission granted by KPMG
Relative to other sectors, colleges and universities are uniquely vulnerable to cybercrime for several reasons. For one, they house valuable research intelligence and proprietary student data. In the case of universities ..
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