Government Guideline Compliance
Universities and colleges are key contributors to the economy, skills development and innovation in the UK. In doing this, they handle huge amounts of personal data (emails and staff / student information), technical resources (documentation and standards), and sensitive research and intellectual property – each of which has significant value to others [1].
This coupled that they operate open, collaborative and flexible environments, not only makes them a target for cyber attackers, it increases the risks of being successfully breached.
This puts huge continual pressure on IT teams to ensure that their cyber security processes and technologies are right for the environment, correctly implemented and continually maintained and updated to ensure the institution’s risk is minimised at all times.
One of the most effective ways to reduce your cyber-attack surface is to conduct regular cyber risk assessments, and implement technologies and processes that adhere to proven government cybersecurity frameworks such as NCSC and NIST.
Within the UK, many institutions follow NCSC’s “10 Steps to Cyber Security” as an effective means to help protect them from attacks. Using the Jisc frameworks, we have aligned our solutions to the guidance steps that we can help with:
- Network security: Palo Alto Networks Cloud, Firewalls & Endpoint Solutions
- User education and awareness: Simulated Phishing & Associated Training
- Malware prevention: Palo Alto Networks Cloud, Network & Endpoint Solutions
- Secure configuration: Vulnerability Assessment Service
- Managing user privileges: Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect Service
- Incident management: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR and XSOAR Solutions
- Monitoring: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR and XSOAR Solutions
- Home and mobile working: Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect Service
For the other guidance steps, we have solutions available via other frameworks including G-Cloud 11.
- Removable media controls: Aruba Networks Clearpass OnGuard Solution
- Managing user privileges: Aruba Networks Clearpass NAC Solution
The Internet can be a hostile environment. The threat of attack is ever present as new vulnerabilities are released and commodity tools produced to exploit them. Doing nothing is no longer an option.
By deploying technologies and processes, as recommended by government cyber security frameworks along with regular cyber risk assessments, will help your institution implement an effective strategy for on-going protection and prevention against attacks.
Whether using our recommended solutions or other reputable ones available, following the steps such as those defined in the “10 steps to cyber security” will ensure that the institutions name is not added to the growing list of victims.