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Almost one in every three Australian education workers ( 30 per cent ) were unsure if the misuse of a mobile device had resulted in the loss of corporate or company data .
A lack of visibility over the users on your network and the data they are accessing is an accident waiting to happen . The results from the report should serve as a timely reminder to tertiary education providers that in order to secure and protect sensitive campus data , specific policies and procedures should be enforced for both students and staff .
staff , students NOT THE SAME Whilst a university strives to provide students with an open and flexible learning environment , policies and procedures still need to exist for staff , especially those who have access to more highly confidential information on the network . So the question remains , how can you effectively strike a balance between staff and student access ? And how can you ensure the security measures extend to # GenMobile workers without hampering productivity ?
In today ’ s modern university campus , IT teams need to manage teachers and academics the same way they would manage employees at an enterprise level – with more stringent controls , including ensuring personal devices that access the academic network always use passwords and those passwords adhere to a strong policy .
Whilst this may seem like a basic security principle , findings from Running the Risk revealed that one in every five education employees do not password protect their personal or BYOD devices . Of those not using a password , close to half ( 48 per cent ) were not worried about the potential threat .
Another important factor universities and their IT teams need to consider is how to best support # GenMobile with services .
According to # GenMobile , wifi matters , with close to 60 per cent preferring fast , consistent wifi at the expense of other connections .
Universities need to be smart about how they respond to this request .
Universities need the security and connections available to facilitate a stable wifi network , regardless of the number of people connecting at the same time , without slowing down . Universities also need to provide # GenMobile guests , teachers , students and causal staff with secure connections to wireless once they enter the campus , without requiring IT support . This process needs to be automated and user initiated . IT should not have to write a how-to-connect manual for every possible device a student might bring to campus .
Move fast , reap benefits Australian universities need to take notice of # GenMobile , in particular the services they are demanding , to help them work and collaborate remotely and seamlessly . Those institutions that prioritise secure networks and provide services such as fast , smart , secure wifi , are set to reap the benefits . One university leading the way at ensuring its technology not only offers students and staff the best network , but also provides necessary visibility for the IT department and safety for all users , is the University of New England .
UNE ’ s management team completed a comprehensive review of its IT infrastructure in early 2013 and made the decision to upgrade from an 802.11g wireless network , to the latest 802.11ac networking standard .
The 802.11ac enterprise mobility solution provided by Aruba is being implemented throughout UNE campuses and represents one of the largest deployments of its kind within the Asia-Pacific education sector .
This network allows # GenMobile students and workers to access wifi that ’ s smart enough to allocate necessary bandwidth to teachers collaborating on rich media , prioritising wireless demand to those using the network for work purposes such as video demonstrations in lectures , over those using it for personal reasons like updating Facebook .
EmbracE AND managE Forward-thinking universities have recognised that a variety of non-technical factors are at play , such as demographics , industry and geography . These can play a huge role in a security threat , so this added context , including behaviour , should be factored in when determining how universities protect sensitive data .
Development of a solid strategy around user behaviour is crucial , and the following five-step checklist will help universities ensure they are fostering productivity and growth whilst protecting sensitive data .
1A basic security policy that details core protection controls and employee usage of technologies is absolutely essential for every university . Even for a small education institution , formalising an approach to information security is crucial . Such a policy should cover roles , devices , locations and other contextual attributes . 2Universities should implement enforcement rules that extend from applications to devices to the network . Such an approach should integrate services across mobile device management , firewalls , IPS and policy engines to deliver common policy enforcement for all sensitive information . 3IT departments must measure and monitor user behaviour to ensure that security policies are mapped to business objectives . This will ensure that policies secure corporate information and systems without affecting usability and productivity . 4Even the most well-thought out security frameworks will fail without the requisite employee training . All teachers , academics and casual staff using the network should be educated on why security actions are important and how they can assist in improving corporate security . 5Finally , ensure that IT has a mechanism for feedback and a service-level agreement in place for how to respond to employee input and requests . Often times , IT is able to improve the effectiveness of automated workflows and security policies simply by listening to employee feedback .
The future starts now In a contemporary , connected world , universities need to nurture creativity amongst both staff and students whilst at the same time minimising the risk of lost information or compromised sensitive data .
Universities that can adapt to the behaviour of the # GenMobile workforce will ultimately reap the benefits , not only from a data protection perspective but also in terms of productivity .
Embracing # GenMobile ’ s desire for freedom , flexibility and collaboration can bring major benefits ; however , managing the risks associated with the new way of working should form part of a solid security plan . n
Mark Verbloot is systems engineering director , Aruba Networks , Australia and New Zealand .
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