Higher Education Industry

The higher education sector is now a prime target for cyber threats, with ransomware attacks on the rise. Alarmingly, only a third of these institutions have a team dedicated to cybersecurity. With as many as 5,400 phishing attacks aimed at schools and colleges every week, the stakes are high. A single data breach can cost an institution an average of $3.9 million.

As educational systems become more interconnected, they are at greater risk of cyberattacks. These concerning statistics highlight the serious consequences of such threats. A significant financial loss from a cyberattack can tarnish an institution's reputation, hinder its research and development activities, and drain resources that could otherwise support the education and growth of students.

IT Security and Compliance for Higher Education

Colleges and universities maintain sensitive information from students, faculty, and donors. Whether you are a community college, technical institute, ivy league school, or liberal arts college, you would not be able to operate without collecting, maintaining, and transmitting sensitive data.

Higher education institutions are attractive targets for cyber attackers as they often possess data including social security numbers, payment card information, student loan details, and protected health information (PHI). On top of the information higher education institutions hold on their students, another significant risk is the intellectual property surrounding research they may be conducting. In recent years, higher education institutes have been targeted by foreign nations looking to steal research data for economic and military advantages. When you combine all this with the fact that many colleges and universities operate in a decentralized environment, the risk of data theft and loss is tremendous.

The higher education sector faces many challenges related to information security, including:

  • Decentralized environments
  • Numerous federal, state, and industry regulations
  • Limited budgets
  • Speed of technology deployment
  • Managing data across multiple departments and locations
  • Ensuring compliance with privacy and security standards
  • Protecting sensitive research and intellectual property from foreign threats

Alexander Magid-1

Alexander Magid, one of our Virtual CISOs, brings extensive expertise in higher education. Before joining Compass, he served as Information Privacy and Compliance Analyst and Data Protection Officer at Clark University. He collaborates with EDUCAUSE, where he chairs the Chief Privacy Officer group, serves on the Cybersecurity and Privacy Advisory Committee, and participates in the HECVAT and NIST 800-171 Working Groups, while also chairing the Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference Program Committee. He has published work with EDUCAUSE and KnowBe4, and played a key role in contributing to the NIST SP 800-171 Toolkit for higher education. EDUCAUSE recently highlighted his work in the 2024 Cybersecurity and Privacy Horizon Report. A nationally recognized speaker, Alexander is known for his expertise in negotiating privacy terms in contracts and conducting third-party security and privacy reviews.

Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT) Support

Compass IT Compliance supports organizations in navigating the Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT) process. The HECVAT is a questionnaire framework specifically designed for higher education to measure vendor risk. Before contracting with a third-party solution, higher eds often ask the solution provider to complete a HECVAT to confirm that information, data, and cybersecurity controls are in place to protect their sensitive institutional information and stakeholder's personal identifiable information (PII). The assessment can be used by multiple institutions to streamline procurement processes for vendors.

Higher Education Cybersecurity Solutions

Compass IT Compliance serves as a trusted thought leader within the higher education cybersecurity realm. We are affiliate members of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA), are community supporters of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), and have previously been invited to present for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). We have developed a robust catalog of services focused on mitigating the information security and compliance risks of higher education institutions, including:

Penetration Testing

Identify and attempt to exploit vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could take advantage of, providing valuable remediation insights.
Penetration Testing

Virtual CISO (vCISO)

Leverage a team of veteran security professionals full or part-time to identify risks and enhance your security program.
Virtual CISO (vCISO)

GLBA Compliance

Risk assessments, audits, and implementation strategies to achieve and maintain compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
GLBA Compliance

Vulnerability Assessments

Discover and report on security flaws to identify potential attack vectors across networks, hardware, software, and systems.
Vulnerability Assessments

PCI DSS Compliance

Evaluate how your organization stores, processes, and transmits cardholder data to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
PCI DSS Compliance

Business Continuity Planning

Document your essential business functions, identify which systems and processes must be sustained, and detail how to maintain them.
Business Continuity Planning

HIPAA Compliance

Strengthen information security to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's Security and Privacy Rules.
HIPAA Compliance

Firewall Security Review

Identify any potential security vulnerabilities present within your firewall according to industry requirements and best practices.
Firewall Security Review

NIST Compliance

Conduct risk assessments to ensure compliance with the various National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) frameworks.
NIST Compliance
Ready to Get Started?

Contact Compass IT Compliance Today

The highly certified experts at Compass IT Compliance have spent the past decade working with private and public colleges and universities of varying size and organizational structure. We are familiar with the Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT) questionnaire framework and can assist both schools and vendors. Get in touch with us online today to discuss your unique challenges!