Survey helps Jisc target effort to support members in building robust cyber security strategies
A survey has been opened that will help Jisc gauge how UK education and research organisations are dealing with the evolving threat of cyber attacks.
Open to all UK Jisc members and customers, the questionnaire results will gauge attitudes to cyber security across the sector and what technical measures, processes and skills are in place to minimise risk.
The survey, which should take less than 15 minutes to complete online, provides valuable insight. Head of policy and strategy for Jisc’s Janet network, Dr John Chapman, who instigated the survey and has developed its scope over the past six years, explains why the data is important:
“Results will help steer Jisc’s future work in cyber security, informing decision-making on new services, and the type of advice and guidance we provide to support sector leaders’ efforts to build robust cyber security strategies.
“Having gathered information on the state of cyber security across tertiary education and research organisations over several years, we know that the general trend is one of improvement.
“However, the cyber landscape is always shifting and threats continue to evolve, so there’s no room for complacency.
“Ransomware remains a huge problem for organisations in all sectors across the globe, including education. In the 2021 survey, ransomware was cited as the top threat for both UK further and higher education institutions and I expect similar feedback this year.
“Alongside threat assessment, the survey enquires about security certificates, services and training that is in place. We also ask organisations to assess their security posture on a scale of 1 to 10.
“As a whole, the survey responses will show where the strengths and weaknesses lie so we can target our support accordingly.”
Survey data will be collated and anonymised, and a summary report will be reviewed by sector experts before being published in the autumn.
A summary of the findings will also be available at the Jisc cyber security conference in November. Registration for the conference opens on 8 June, 2022.
Further information
For information about ways in which Jisc helps members protect against cyber attacks, visit the cyber security web pages.
Guidance for senior leaders can be viewed in the guide 16 questions you need to ask to assess your cyber security posture and the cyber impact report, which was updated in April 2022.