Tag Archive for: commitment

Building cyber resilience in HE needs everyone’s commitment


UNITED KINGDOM

When it comes to cyber threats in 2023, no sector is safe. While the financial, insurance and consumer industries have traditionally been some of the worst hit by breaches, higher education has fast become a new favourite target for attackers in recent years.

According to the United Kingdom government’s 2022 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, of the educational institutions surveyed, higher education employees were the most likely to identify breaches or attacks, with 92% reporting an incident within the last 12 months.

The consequences have been extreme. A ransomware attack impacting the University of York in 2021 resulted in sensitive data being encrypted and held captive by hackers for weeks without resolution. At other universities, sophisticated attacks such as phishing emails and distributed denial of service (DDoS) have run havoc – intercepting confidential logins, tampering with student data and forcing downtime during valuable learning hours.

A vulnerable sector

It’s unsurprising, then, that higher education institutions face a variety of challenges that render them at higher risk for such attacks.

For starters, the ongoing digital skills shortage has meant a lack of experienced candidates capable of safeguarding universities from today’s cyber threats.

In the private sector, 51% of businesses have reported a shortage of “basic technical cybersecurity skills”. In the public sector, additional budget constraints heightened by the global economic downturn have made matters even worse.

‘Head of Cybersecurity’ salaries are currently being advertised at a fraction of what they would be in a private firm, which makes cyber recruitment an uphill battle for many public sector organisations, including universities.

There has also been a surge in the number of devices being used by both students and staff on a daily basis. Laptops and mobile phones became staples of remote learning during the pandemic due to lockdowns and social distancing protocols. Internet of Things (IoT) devices – including assistive technology and ID scanners – have also become commonplace across university campuses.

While these devices boost efficiency and support learning, they…

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CrowdStrike Racing Extends Long-Standing Commitment to SRO America


CrowdStrike Racing is preparing for another full calendar of competition in SRO Motorsports America with entries across multiple series throughout 2023.

 

The multi-faceted program is an extension of CrowdStrike’s commitment as a provider and sponsor for SRO America, a role the company has held since 2018. As the Official Internet Security and Cloud Security Provider, CrowdStrike is on the front line in protecting SRO’s global data and preventing breaches through the industry-leading, cloud-native CrowdStrike Falcon platform..

 

The relationship also allows CrowdStrike to showcase its industry-leading experiential programs for VIPs and guests at various SRO race events, including the 2023 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa – the most prestigious GT race in the world for SRO competitors. The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is the first race of a multi-year partnership, highlighted by CrowdStrike taking over title sponsorship of the event.

 

The CrowdStrike at-track hospitality experience includes the unique CXO Summit, which provides guests the opportunity to hear from CrowdStrike leadership on important topics and significant trends within the cybersecurity industry. Trackside hospitality, race team meet-and-greets, garage visits, hot laps and chances to participate in opening and podium ceremonies are among the offerings to VIPs and guests.

 

In SRO America, the CrowdStrike Racing by Riley program will kick off on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, as George Kurtz returns to competition in GT America Powered by AWS. The defending GT America champion, Kurtz won 10 races in 2022 behind the wheel of the No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes AMG GT3 – including one of the two rounds at St. Petersburg – to take his first SRO America championship since 2017.

 

The combination of Kurtz, plus CrowdStrike Racing by Riley will contend again in a strong class that will feature nearly 30 entries – a mix of GT3, GT4 and GT2 machinery.

 

The event on the 11-turn, 1.8-mile St. Petersburg street circuit will serve as a precursor to the start of the season for Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS. Kurtz and Colin Braun will return to a stacked field of GT3…

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Plumas Bank announces commitment to respecting data by becoming a 2023 Data Privacy Week Champion


Plumas Bank just announced its commitment to Data Privacy Week 2023 by registering as a Champion. As a Champion, the local bank supports the principle that all organizations share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information. This year’s initiative emphasizes educating businesses on data collection best practices that respect data privacy and promoting transparency

Data Privacy Week is an annual expanded effort from Data Privacy Day — taking place from January 22 – 28, 2023. The goal is to spread awareness about online privacy among individuals and organizations. The goal is twofold: to help citizens understand that they have the power to manage their data and to help organizations understand why it is important that they respect their users’ data.

Plumas Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Aaron Boigon, commented, “Securing our clients’ data is a top priority at Plumas Bank. It’s important to note that everyone has a responsibility to protect their personal data. A few simple ways to protect your data are to create strong passwords and change them often, install trusted computer security software, and check your social media accounts privacy settings regularly. Throughout this week follow Plumas Bank’s social media (Facebook and LinkedIn) for tips on protecting your privacy.”

The National Cybersecurity Alliance has offered up the following themes to help guide individuals and businesses to better data privacy practices:

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Food security for all requires a year-round commitment


When the pandemic began in 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended free meals to school-age children all year long, including the summer months. The program will no longer be available at the end of this school year and many food insecure families are now facing a summer without school food assistance programs.

The situation is made even more dire as inflation and the cost-of-living soars, leaving millions of individuals and families in critical need of year-round nutritional assistance.  

Food insecurity is not only detrimental to individual health, development and well-being, but is crippling the progress of communities across our state and society. More than 3.1 million Floridians struggle to afford nutritious food, and about one in five children or more than 900,000 in the state lack proper nutrition, according to a study by the Feeding America network.

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