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There has been some good news from the world of information security, as the latest survey from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has found that colleges and universities across the UK are beefing up their investment in cybersecurity.

More investment

The group, which exists to highlight the challenges and opportunities in the UK information security sector, has found that not only are higher education facilities more likely to have staff in roles dedicated to promoting and providing cybersecurity, they are also investing more in training and technical solutions than ever before. Particularly encouraging was the news that there has been a 14% increase in the number of institutions implementing industry recognised security standard Cyber Essentials, to 40% of the further education sector.

Alongside this encouraging data, the report also found that 97% of universities and 75% of colleges now use third-party security services to bolster their defences and that 66% of institutions now have a dedicated lead on cybersecurity within their IT staff – all large increases on the same time last year. Despite this, the overall fear of cyber-attacks has grown, probably due to high-profile instances of attacks in the global media and the unsettling effect of new regulations like GDPR.

Protecting your business

Achieving certification in Cyber Essentials with a compliant body like IASME is a big step for any higher education institution, and demonstrates a solid commitment to tackling the problem of security threats within the IT and higher education industries, and is a serious escalation of an institution’s security posture in the face of increasing threat from online criminals. Compliant organisations are much less likely to suffer attacks or to take serious damage from security breaches, and Cyber Smart software can decrease the chances of suffering loss by up to 80%. With a baffling array of threats out there, threats which are constantly changing and evolving, it can seem like a full-time job keeping up with the latest news on what the bad guys are up to – never mind implementing measures to deal with them.

That’s where CyberSmart, delivering Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications come in. As government recognised standards, you’ll have the peace of mind that is backed by the knowledge you are at the cutting edge of the industry standard where protecting your business is concerned, not only ensuring that the latest technology is in place to protect you, but that your staff are trained to the highest standards to help mitigate threats before they happen.