Universities Enlisting Student Hackers to Combat Cybersecurity Challenges
Universities across the globe are harnessing the potential of their student communities to bolster their cybersecurity efforts. This approach addresses the need for practical experience for IT students while improving the overall cybersecurity posture of universities and their communities.
Hands-on Projects and Certification Incentives
One of the key strategies employed by universities is to integrate cybersecurity education with practical labs, simulations, and voucher incentives for industry certifications. This motivates students to apply concepts learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios, thereby enhancing both their learning experience and the institutional security.
Cybersecurity Awareness and Hygiene Education
Promoting strong personal cybersecurity habits among students is another crucial aspect. Universities encourage practices such as using strong, unique passwords, enabling multifactor authentication (MFA), and recognising phishing attempts. These collective efforts reduce attack surfaces, making the university community more secure.
Training and Empowerment
Effective programs begin with leadership buy-in and extend to training both faculty and students on cybersecurity best practices. This ensures that the whole academic community understands their roles in defence against cyber threats.
Establishing Policies and Governance
Developing clear incident response plans, access controls, and data protection policies aligned with risk assessments is essential. Universities may form governance teams to oversee cybersecurity priorities and enforce student-related policies.
Creating a Cybersecurity Culture
A cybersecurity-first culture can be fostered by embedding cyber hygiene into student curricula and involving students directly in security monitoring and awareness campaigns. This approach, often supported by zero trust architectures and regular training, helps create a proactive and vigilant student body.
Best Practices for Student-led Security Programs
Successful student-led security initiatives adhere to best practices such as providing structured training, using incentive mechanisms like vouchers for certification exams, incorporating clear roles and responsibilities, implementing effective supervision, and ensuring continuous monitoring.
Students in Security Operations Centers (SOCs)
Universities are increasingly relying on students earning security degrees to fill roles within their Security Operations Centers (SOCs). This not only provides students with real-world experience but also helps universities address the challenge of finding enough qualified workers to keep their SOCs running efficiently.
Publicly Available Resources
Universities can take advantage of publicly available resources, such as services from Microsoft and organisations like Major League Hacking, to set up student-driven cybersecurity programs.
Student-run Clinics and Hackathons
Some institutions use student volunteers to staff cybersecurity clinics for peers, faculty, staff, and local businesses. These clinics teach users how to spot phishing attempts, educate about good credential management, and offer case-specific advice for improving cybersecurity. Hackathons, where students work together to solve cybersecurity challenges, are also being used by some institutions to bolster their schools' security.
Addressing Challenges
While student-run SOCs, clinics, or hackathons may not be a perfect solution, they are a substantial improvement over many schools' current cybersecurity stance. Human error causes 95% of all data breaches, and student-run initiatives may be more prone to these mistakes due to their relative lack of experience. However, with careful role explanation, thorough training, and personalised feedback, these initiatives can help participants learn and grow.
Benefits for Universities and Students
Participating in SOCs allows students to gain real-world experience that will help them secure a full-time security position after college. Student-driven cybersecurity programs can help universities address pressing needs without disrupting normal IT daily work. Moreover, 13% of the world's data lacks necessary protections, and student-run clinics can help close the gap by sharing knowledge and experience about best practices.
Meeting the Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals
With 67% of security teams facing staffing shortages in the past year, and 37% facing budget cuts that could make hiring difficult, student-driven cybersecurity programs offer a viable solution. Students are an ideal solution as they can be hired through part-time or work-study programs to grow the cybersecurity workforce at lower rates than industry standards. The U.S. white-hat hacking market is a growing $4 billion industry, providing ample opportunities for students who choose to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
In conclusion, universities and their communities stand to benefit significantly from programs that involve students in cybersecurity efforts. By empowering students as active contributors while maintaining organisational control and compliance, these programs enhance overall university cybersecurity posture.
- Universities leverage industry certifications, such as incentives for vouchers, to encourage students to apply cybersecurity concepts learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios, improving both learning experience and institutional security.
- Recognizing phishing attempts is a crucial cybersecurity habit promoted among students, as collective efforts in practicing strong cybersecurity hygiene reduce attack surfaces and make university communities more secure.
- Effective cybersecurity programs involve training for both faculty and students on relevant best practices, with clear roles and responsibilities, continuous monitoring, and supervision, to empower the entire academic community in defence against cyber threats.
