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University

Caleb Boma | February 22nd, 2021

 

According to BleepingComputer, Canadian undergraduate research university Lakehead has been dealing with a cyberattack that forced the institution earlier this week to cut off access to its servers. The school’s services, including its website, have been down since Tuesday, with personnel shutting down computers on the Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses to stop the attack from spreading. In a communication on Thursday, Lakehead University provided some details about the attack saying that it was aimed at its file share servers. The school did not disclose the nature of the incident, though. Top Articles

Importance of Cybersecurity in a University

“As soon as Lakehead’s Technology Services Centre (TSC) became aware of the potential threat to our servers, TSC removed all access to them,” the University said. An investigation is underway, trying to determine what servers and information have been impacted by the security incident. Until the assessment is completed, “all information used and stored on our file share servers will be inaccessible, and on-campus computers will not be available for use.” The University recommends anyone that who kept credential sets in documents on its file-sharing system or on a campus office computer should change their passwords as a precaution.

Lakehead has not disclosed if this is a ransomware attack, but the evidence is pointing to it. Regardless, it’s important to note why university security is completely necessary. With thousands of students and their records on file, universities become a preferred target for threat actors. In addition to already being a target, remote access to online learning is still in place for most universities. With more devices connected to the internet, threat actors have multiple points of entry and a much better chance to infiltrate networks.

When your organization chooses to implement a tool like ShadowSpear®, any malicious threats instantly alert the engineers in our Security Operations Center who work continuously for you. If SpearTip had been monitoring Lakehead’s network, threats would have been mitigated right away and threat actors wouldn’t have had the chance to access any sensitive information.

SpearTip’s cyber professionals continuously monitor environments 24/7 in our US-based Security Operations Center. Our certified engineers work in unison with our proprietary endpoint detection and response tool, ShadowSpear®. This allows your organization to have direct communication with our engineers at any moment and a completely transparent view of your risk profile.

If you are experiencing a breach, please call our Security Operations Center at 833.997.7327.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What specific cybersecurity measures should universities take to protect themselves and their students from cyber threats?

Some possible measures could include implementing strong password policies, using multi-factor authentication, conducting regular security assessments, and providing cybersecurity training to faculty, staff, and students.

What are some of the challenges that universities face in implementing effective cybersecurity policies, and how can they overcome these challenges?

Some possible challenges could include limited resources, a lack of cybersecurity expertise among staff, and difficulty getting buy-in from faculty and students. To overcome these challenges, universities may need to invest in additional resources, provide cybersecurity training to staff and students, and communicate the importance of cybersecurity to all members of the university community.

How can universities stay up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity trends and technologies, and ensure that their students are adequately prepared for careers in cybersecurity?

Some possible strategies could include partnering with industry experts, participating in cybersecurity conferences and training programs, and offering cybersecurity courses and certifications to students. Additionally, universities may need to adapt their curricula to ensure that students are learning the most relevant and up-to-date cybersecurity skills.

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