It is very important for universities to actively protect their computer network from cyberattacks. With so many people having access to the network and it holding so much personal information, it is probably very enticing to a cybercriminal.
Being able to outsource the entire online security to a professional and reputable business is certainly something to be considered as the security services they offer can relieve a major headache.
Tech Advice For Universities Looking To Protect Their Network
To protect the network, universities must seek tech advice from individuals in order to protect their network. However, to reduce your time and effort, we have listed the top advice for you keeping in mind expert’s views.
1. Train all students in their own online security
It is important that all students are made aware of the issues that can arise from poor personal security online. They should all be given tutoring on how to keep themselves safe as well as the university they are attending.
Make sure that your students are able to come up with good quality secure passwords that they will not share with anyone. The criteria for a good quality password is that it should contain at least one uppercase character, at least one lowercase character, a number, and a special character such as a question mark.
2. Make passwords Strong
All passwords should be 12 characters long at least but should not be a dictionary word, try putting in a spelling mistake or substituting a letter for a special character, so it is harder to guess. Also, do not use a pet’s name or any information about yourself which could be easily gleaned from social media.
There are, of course, other areas that will also need to be addressed, such as making sure that a student cannot have simultaneous sessions and will therefore not be leaving one platform unattended or open.
3. Install the correct software to protect your network
You can install the correct software to protect your own network yourself, or a much easier way is to get a professional and trusted business to do it for you.
Installing a Sonicwall firewall is something that can help you with your online security, and they may be able to help you with other areas to protect your network, such as providing secure and safe access for students and staff alike, scalable protection, and advanced email security, among the things on offer.
4. Control and restrict access
Control and restrict access for students to support the university’s policies so that there is no chance of students or staff members gaining access to questionable sites via a university computer.
Obviously, members of staff will have different and more access than students, but this should be kept restricted as there is a lot of personal information held within a university’s computer system, including information about staff, students, and all that are associated with both.
The Final Thoughts
By introducing personalized passwords, you can hold all students and members of staff accountable for the sites that they visit and for any data shared with those sites.
It is also important that visiting staff only gain access to the areas that they need to complete their job role and that they have their access canceled when they leave the university campus so that they cannot access any of the data.
Read Also:
