Today data is widely regarded as one of the most valuable assets any business can have; most understand it has to be fiercely guarded from competitors and other parties unauthorised to access it. Yet with recent high profile data breaches highlighting how frequent and damaging a cyber attack can be, it shouldn’t be a surprise that cyber crime is now the fastest growing economic offence.1 The range of incentives for hacking into an organisation and stealing its data is becoming increasingly diverse and reflects the growing economic and social power of data. As ambition increases among hackers, so do the risks and the sophistication of attacks. With attention frequently focused on the threats faced by commercial businesses, it is important to remember that public sector organisations in the UK such as universities are also increasingly at risk from cyber crime. Their status as world-leading research institutions also makes them a prime target. If their information falls into the wrong hands, the consequences can be serious, from anticompetitive commercial practices, to threats to national security, as well as the usual risks of identity fraud and financial crime.
Protecting our higher education institutions from cyber crime is vital if the UK is to remain as one of the world’s top research and innovation destinations; it has to be a board level issue both in the commercial and public sector world. If UK universities are to continue attracting the best students from both home and abroad, damage to reputation through cyber attacks and associated data breaches can create a serious threat to their ability to compete for applications and associated funding.
