Colleges and universities need greater flexibility to respond to rapidly changing circumstances–a major takeaway from the pandemic. Many institutions are struggling to support data protection requirements and meet students’ administrative needs. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly recently noted that education is a focus for the agency, as institutions are “target-rich, resource-poor entities….that are part of critical infrastructure, [yet] they don’t have large security teams.”
In addition, many universities are challenged with fluctuating enrollment right now. According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, enrollment is down 2.5 percent at private institutions and 1.6 percent at public institutions.
Financial difficulties faced by many institutions due to the pandemic, coupled with these enrollment challenges, have resulted in a struggle to support data protection requirements and meet students’ changing administrative needs. Many long-standing business models and expectations have changed, and institutions need technology that enables them to quickly spin up new applications and respond to shifting conditions.
As learning plans continue to adapt, institutions are focused on implementing cybersecurity and privacy practices, infrastructure and networking tools, and innovation and emerging technologies.
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