Safeguarding Innovation: Cybersecurity Challenges for the Science and Research Sector Balancing Academic Excellence with Security in the Digital Age Introduction Growing dependence on digital infrastructure in academia Escalating
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Presentation Transcript
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Safeguarding Innovation: Cybersecurity Challenges for the Science and Research Sector Balancing Academic Excellence with Security in the Digital Age<br>
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Introduction Growing dependence on digital infrastructure in academia
Escalating sophistication of cyber-attacks
The critical importance of cybersecurity for national security and economic competitiveness<br>
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Cybersecurity in Academia – The Scale of the Problem Record 75% rise in cyber-attacks in Q3 2024 Education/Research: 3,828 weekly attacks
(highest among sectors) 50% of breached organizations belong to academia
(2024 Data Breach Investigations Report)<br>
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The Education/Research sector was the most targeted, with an average of 3,828 weekly attacks, followed by the Government/Military and Healthcare sectors, with 2,553 and 2,434 attacks, respectively A Closer Look at Q3 2024: 75% Surge in Cyber Attacks Worldwide, https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/a-closer-look-at-q3-2024-75-surge-in-cyber-attacks-worldwide/<br>
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The Impact of Cyberattacks on Academia Data breaches: financial, personal, and intellectual property theft
Operational risks: disruption to education and research functions
Intellectual property theft: targeting emerging and disruptive technologies<br>
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Drivers of the Threat Landscape Professionalization of the hacking industry
Geo-tech rivalry and state-sponsored cyberespionage (Russia, China, etc.)
Hybrid warfare tactics using cyber-attacks<br>
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EDTs and the Academia - National Security Nexus emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs)
examples: AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, autonomous systems
dual-use potential: civilian and military applications
role of academia
leading innovation and technological breakthroughs
collaboration with defense and security sectors (e.g., NATO’s DIANA initiative
national security implications
EDTs critical for economic and geopolitical standing
targeted by cyberespionage, especially from adversaries with civil-military fusion strategies<br>
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High-profile universities targeted in 2024, like e.g. University of Cambridge, Università di Siena
Types of attacks: ransomware, phishing, email compromise Case Studies of Recent Attacks<br>
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Emerging Threats Use of AI in advanced phishing and deepfake attacks
Escalating hybrid threats tied to geopolitical confrontations<br>
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Addressing the Challenges Compliance with the NIS2 Directive Strengthening cybersecurity policies and incident response systems Cross-sectoral cooperation and intelligence-sharing initiatives<br>
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Practical Measures for Academia Cyber hygiene education for staff and students
Investments in SOCs (e.g., SOCCER consortium example)
Leadership involvement and securing dedicated funding<br>
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SOCCER Project www.soccer.agh.edu.pl
10 M euro, five CEE countries consortium
Main goals:
Development of SOCs or SOC’s capabilities
Supporting SOC preparedness and readiness
Establishing information & CTI sharing ecosystem
across the academic sector in CEE
The SOC4Academia Toolbox, a resource designed to share best practices for SOC establishment, deployment models, and integration of services
The SOCCER project is funded under Grant Agreement No. 101128073 and is supported by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre.<br>
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Conclusion Cybersecurity challenges will intensify, requiring a proactive, strategic approach
Collaboration among governments, academia, and industry is vital
Protecting academia is key to fostering innovation and economic resilience<br>
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Thank you AGH Cybersecurity Center
atrawinska@agh.edu.pl
albrycht@agh.edu.pl
