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"Recent attacks against the HE sector have been hacktivist/geopolitically motivated such as the attack against the Janet network in February but the latest warning from MI5 to UK universities makes clear that nation states are now also eyeing these institutions to obtain research and IP that could secure economic or military advantage. This is significant because of the pioneering work these institutions do in advancing our understanding and use of emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing. We’re now seeing innovation accelerate in these domains and if such knowledge were to fall into the wrong hands, it could enable a nation state to progress in leagues and bounds.

The warning comes hot on the heels of a report from Universities UK, Jisc, and the NCSC last year which urged universities to focus on building cyber resilience and sharing intelligence. It states that universities face unique challenges due to the need to preserve access for students and researchers while ensuring the integrity of data. Consequently, securing infrastructure is far more demanding and complex than in other sectors.

The report recommends that university leaders adopt a defence-in-depth approach and review the security posture, ensure business continuity, and seek to collaborate over security. To ensure effective defence it advocates using a Security and Incident Event Management (SIEM) to monitor logs and provide threat detection and response, as well as the need to audit administrative permissions and firewall rules. This latest warning suggests that budget will also now be allocated to measures that will focus specifically on protecting research and technology with a consultation due to be held in the summer."