{"id":12733,"date":"2023-08-15T12:55:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T12:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hfdwhdev.15.phee.host\/blog\/working-together-to-increase-cybersecurity-at-universities-good-practices-from-france\/"},"modified":"2023-08-15T12:55:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T12:55:59","slug":"working-together-to-increase-cybersecurity-at-universities-good-practices-from-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hfd.phee.dev\/en\/blog\/working-together-to-increase-cybersecurity-at-universities-good-practices-from-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Working together to increase cybersecurity at universities: Good Practices from France"},"content":{"rendered":"

The digital transformation of higher education has revolutionized the way universities operate and engage with their stakeholders. However, it brings new challenges, for example in the area of cybersecurity. The increasing number of Cyberattacks on universities<\/a> – as does Hans Pongratz, an expert at the Center for Higher Education (zhb) at TU Dortmund University, at the latest edition of the U:FF emphasized<\/a> – shows that protecting sensitive data, securing information systems and mitigating cyberattacks are key tasks for universities in the digital age.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In this blog post, we will look at the general challenges for cybersecurity in higher education, the best practices of the University of Lille, and France’s national efforts and focus for Germany. The University of Lille is an excellent example of proactive measures focused on developing awareness of the need for cybersecurity. We had the opportunity to speak with Pierre Boulet<\/a>, vice president for digital infrastructure and president of the professional network association L’association des vice-pr\u00e9sidents en charge du num\u00e9rique dans l’enseignement sup\u00e9rieur<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Understanding the challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to Boulet, decision makers often lack a comprehensive understanding of the technical intricacies. Therefore, he said, it is important to first make them aware of cybersecurity risks in order to prioritize the issue. French institutions are also faced with difficult financial conditions, he said, but leadership must allocate adequate resources to develop effective policies and procedures. According to Boulet, this means that 10% of an institution’s total IT budget would need to be spent on cybersecurity:<\/p>\n

“We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure fire safety and overall security, but today the risk of a cyberattack is much more likely than a fire and therefore must be a strategic priority.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lille has nearly 80,000 students and a large campus with old buildings and high maintenance costs. The university struggles to spend 10% of its IT budget on cybersecurity, yet takes a proactive approach to the most important things.<\/p>\n

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Develop and implement cybersecurity policies and procedures.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lille University has made great strides in developing and implementing policies and procedures. Although cybersecurity is not explicitly mentioned in Lille University’s overall strategy, it occupies an important place in its digital strategy. Boulet notes that monthly meetings<\/strong> with information security officers, IT staff and privacy officers to ensure regular cybersecurity assessment and prioritization are central to organizing their efforts:<\/p>\n