Defining a Strong Cybersecurity Ecosystem for Higher Ed

Colleges and universities are faced with cyberattacks that come in many forms, including insider threats, malware, botnets, phishing, DDoS (distributed denial of service), ransomware, APT (advanced persistent threat), and others, writes Jim Jorstad, Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Education and the Center for Digital Government, in a recent Government Technology article.

The cost of cybercrime continues to skyrocket, with global losses expected to reach an estimated $10.5 trillion this year, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.

In 2025, the atmosphere in higher education is filled with a great deal of uncertainty and funding challenges. Yet even in these uncertain times, there are effective strategies available to institutions of any size for combating cyber risks, according to Jorstad, who is a retired emeritus interim CIO and Cyber Security Designee for the Chancellor’s Office at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Jorstad believes that is important to find cybersecurity vendors who work in partnership with the CIO or CTO, the university administration and end users as one strategy to create a much more secure ecosystem.

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