As students and faculty approach the new semester, there is much to consider to keep people, assets, and facilities safe and reduce cyber security risks. By leveraging best practices for campus safety and staying up to date with evolving standards and technology, higher education institutions can confidently provide a safe and seamless experience for their academic staff and student body that continues long after the start of the next semester.
In this blog, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of all the strategies you can implement to enhance the student experience and create an efficient, secure return to your university or learning institution.
Be proactive and prepared
In an ever-changing world, it’s essential to have a plan in place so you can respond quickly if something goes wrong. To do this, you must be proactive rather than reactive. It’s critical to understand the most likely risks your campus may face and ensure that your team is well-prepared with preventative measures. This means creating a comprehensive security plan that covers all potential risks, from natural disasters to cyber threats. Additionally, understanding the latest trends in technology will help you stay ahead of any potential issues before they arise.
Keep personal data secure
A cyber breach of a university’s security system could have far-reaching consequences. With databases full of personal information about staff, students, and alumni, universities must implement solutions designed to mitigate the risk of cyber-attack and protect their data.
Universities cannot run the risk of cyber criminals breaching their network. Protecting data must be a number one priority and proactive solutions should be implemented to keep information secure and maintain digital safety within universities.
Before starting the new semester, take the time to assess your security posture. Minimize external threats through end-to-end encryption and user authentications and consider using tools such as Gallagher's Security Health Check to identify potential vulnerabilities in your system.
Reduce cyber risks through regular software updates
Universities are increasingly under threat of cyber breaches. However, constant vigilance and keeping software up to date can help protect against attacks and enable higher education providers to stay one step ahead of cyber criminals. At this critical time, it is more important than ever for universities to safeguard their systems and keep digital assets safe by staying ahead of the curve - and that all starts with regularly updating software.
That’s one of the reasons why Gallagher continually evolves its Command Centre software – to ensure it meets emerging cyber threats. Gallagher releases two versions of their Command Centre software every year, which are extensively tested before release. This includes both internal and external penetration testing during development to identify vulnerabilities along with additional tests from their dedicated cyber security research team to ensure essential standards are met.
Universities must implement regular software and hardware updates across all devices to stay current with cyber threats. Putting the right product in is only half of the solution. We also provide configuration advice, in the form of Gallagher’s Hardening Guide, to help universities deploy the system in a secure environment.
Consider integrating to enhance the student experience
Many universities are integrating their security systems into a much larger ecosystem that supports the delivery of a first-class student experience. Moving toward a fully integrated security solution creates numerous new touchpoints outside of what is traditionally expected from a conventional security system. Integrating several systems enables higher education providers to optimise facility use, including the ability to:
- Reduce operational, training, and utility costs
- Achieve sustainability goals by controlling energy usage
- Automate room services and monitor elevators, accommodations, and parking
- Grant incoming students access credentials to relevant buildings before they set foot on campus
- Ease the workload for administrative tasks with automated, customizable reporting tools
One such example is Griffith University which has six campuses (five physical and one digital campus) across Southeast Queensland. Across all campuses, 55,000 students, 4,000 staff, and 8000 contractors move between numerous facilities.
Griffith needed a robust security solution that would manage many different systems simultaneously while being flexible enough to grow in the future.
At the heart of Griffith's security solution is Gallagher's Command Centre, a centralized platform that provides unparalleled control of every aspect of a site. Griffith has seen significant time savings and efficiencies from the Command Centre integration and has also experienced a reduction in the number of booking errors, saving hours of guard time and reducing the required number of guards that need to be staffed on campus.
Invest in solutions that cover both cyber and physical vulnerabilities
When measuring security risks, cyber and security threats are equally important, and both need to be considered. Robust physical security measures are essential for keeping people safe and protecting assets whilst maintaining an open campus environment. As more students return to on-campus learning, universities should utilize security solutions that provide seamless campus control from one integrated security management system.
Additionally, choosing a security system that helps the security team respond swiftly and accurately during emergency situations with rapid evacuation and lockdown procedures is just one example of how access control can help universities keep people safe on campus.
An effective access control solution with broadcast notifications gives school administrators the power to respond quickly and easily to serious security threats or site lockdowns. The push of one button allows them to alert people as soon as an incident arises and efficiently provide instructions, giving your community the peace of mind and reassurance they need to focus on the feature. Make sure your campus is secure by investing in solutions that cover both cyber and physical vulnerabilities.
Provide staff with regular training
Training staff on proper security protocols is essential for keeping people safe and reducing cyber security risks on campus. Making sure everyone understands basic practices like password management, email encryption, wireless network access control, data protection measures, etc., will go a long way towards protecting your institution from malicious actors or accidents alike.
Additionally, employees should be aware of any applicable regulations or laws relating to their role so they can always remain compliant – this includes regular updates on new policies or changes in existing ones as well as refresher courses whenever necessary.
As we head into a new semester, it's important to be proactive and prepared to keep people, assets, and facilities safe. By following best practices for campus safety and staying up to date with evolving standards and technology, higher education institutions can confidently provide a safe and seamless experience for their academic staff and student body. If you need help implementing these strategies, our team of experts are here to partner with you and create a plan that works for your university or learning institution.
Contact us today to get started!