Navigating Data Security Challenges in Cloud Computing for Universities
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">The cloud holds a wealth of sensitive information, making it a prime target for cybercriminals. While the financial and healthcare sectors receive the most attention, higher education institutions are just as vulnerable to breaches. Providers must go beyond baseline security standards to protect student, research and faculty information. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="2"><span data-contrast="auto">Securing Universities’ Cloud Computing Environments</span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":360,"335559739":120}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">While the cloud is generally more secure than on-premise deployments, it is not immune to vulnerabilities. Professionals face several security concerns when storing and managing information for higher education institutions. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">An attacker can easily gain unauthorized access if even one university worker falls for a phishing campaign. Phishing was </span><a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1320178/common-cloud-security-attacks-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">the most common cloud security incident</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> in 2024; credential theft was also common and account compromise attacks reached 38% the same year. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><div class="code-block code-block-12 ai-track" data-ai="WzEyLCIiLCJCbG9jayAxMiIsIiIsMV0=" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <style> .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block, .ai-list-block-ip, .ai-list-block-filter {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; top: -1000px; z-index: -9999; margin: 0px!important;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback {min-width: 1px;} </style> <div class="ai-rotate ai-unprocessed ai-timed-rotation ai-12-1" data-info="WyIxMi0xIiwyXQ==" style="position: relative;"> <div class="ai-rotate-option" style="visibility: hidden;" data-index="1" data-name="VGVjaHN0cm9uZyBHYW5nIFlvdXR1YmU=" data-time="MTA="> <div class="custom-ad"> <div style="margin: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/Fojn5NFwaw8" target="_blank"><img src="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Techstrong-Gang-Youtube-PodcastV2-770.png" alt="Techstrong Gang Youtube"></a></div> <div class="clear-custom-ad"></div> </div></div> <div class="ai-rotate-option" style="visibility: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" data-index="1" data-name="QVdTIEh1Yg==" data-time="MTA="> <div class="custom-ad"> <div style="margin: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://devops.com/builder-community-hub/?ref=in-article-ad-1&utm_source=do&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=in-article-ad-1" target="_blank"><img src="https://devops.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gradient-1.png" alt="AWS Hub"></a></div> <div class="clear-custom-ad"></div> </div></div> </div> </div><h3 aria-level="3"><span data-contrast="none">The University’s Role in Managing Data Security </span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":320,"335559739":80}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">The end user’s role in managing sensitive data complicates cybersecurity. If university workers lack awareness, their actions could put student and faculty information, including social security numbers, home addresses, billing information, medical records and birth dates, at risk./</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Even if users fully understand their responsibilities, cloud environments are still vulnerable to cyberattacks. One misconfigured setting could allow an attacker to bypass permissions or exploit a missing patch. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><div class="code-block code-block-15" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2091799172090865" crossorigin="anonymous" type="f32533c657f365f74a829051-text/javascript"></script> <!-- SB In Article Ad 1 --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-2091799172090865" data-ad-slot="8723094367" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins> <script type="f32533c657f365f74a829051-text/javascript"> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></div><p><span data-contrast="auto">An overwhelming majority of cloud experts agree that data security is a challenge regardless of the data’s sensitivity level. A 2024 report revealed that </span><a href="https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/2024-cloud-security-report-unveiling-the-latest-trends-in-cloud-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">96% of experts felt ‘concerned</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">’</span><span data-contrast="auto"> about their ability to manage such threats. Of that group, 39% felt ‘very concerned’, saying they needed to mitigate risks daily. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="2"><span data-contrast="auto">Leveraging Measures to Secure Sensitive Cloud Data</span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":360,"335559739":120}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">Professionals can leverage access controls, encryption, compliance strategies and authentication measures to secure student records, intellectual property and research datasets. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="3"><span data-contrast="none">Identity and Access Management </span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":320,"335559739":80}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">Robust identity and access management (IAM) gives colleges granular control over their digital environment. It tells them who users are and what their roles allow them to do, improving monitoring and logging. If a cybersecurity incident occurs, it can be traced back to the source, reducing human error and mitigating insider threats. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="3"><span data-contrast="none">Encryption Protocols</span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":320,"335559739":80}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">While the information security market is growing, few people take it as seriously as they should. Just </span><a href="https://www.watermarkinsights.com/resources/blog/10-best-practices-for-higher-education-data-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">13% of the global population</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> secured their data in 2023. It is up to universities to enable a system’s existing security protections or create their own. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Cloud storage only encrypts plaintext on the server side. Moreover, a lack of end-to-end encryption means the provider can use their decryption key anytime. These flaws expand the attack surface and introduce vulnerabilities, making a successful breach more likely. An end-to-end solution is key. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="3"><span data-contrast="none">Authentication Measures </span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":320,"335559739":80}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">Biometrics and multi-factor authentication block credential stuffing and brute force attacks, preventing unauthorized access. It also gives higher education institutions a way to trace suspicious activity to potential insider threats.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="3"><span data-contrast="none">Regulatory Compliance Strategies </span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":320,"335559739":80}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">Meeting the minimum regulatory requirements invites risk — minimum effort results in minimal improvements. Providers should go beyond this threshold and implement robust cybersecurity measures. In addition to simplifying compliance management, this approach will help them stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="2"><span data-contrast="auto">How Cloud Professionals Can Mitigate Data Breaches</span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":360,"335559739":120}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">Unauthorized access can go unnoticed for months at a time. In 2024, detecting a single breach </span><a href="https://rehack.com/cybersecurity/cyber-resilience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">took around 194 days</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> on average. This figure does not include remediation. Robust incident response plans are crucial for stopping attacks. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Proactive intervention is also essential. Cybersecurity audits can find gaps, keeping decision-makers informed about risk priorities. Once they determine the attack surface and analyze threats, they can develop mitigation strategies to close loopholes. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Mitigating client-side threats is more complex but still doable. Information technology specialists should provide training modules for new customers and easily digestible videos about the latest cyber threats for new and existing users. This keeps everyone informed, reducing the risk of a breach.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><h3 aria-level="2"><span data-contrast="auto">Ensuring Data Integrity and Confidentiality in the Cloud</span><span data-ccp-props='{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":360,"335559739":120}'> </span></h3><p><span data-contrast="auto">Information assets become vulnerable to some degree whenever someone digitizes them. <a href="https://securityboulevard.com/2025/06/unleashing-powerful-cloud-native-security-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Managing regulatory compliance and data security</a> in an ever-evolving threat landscape can be challenging. However, providers can secure their environments by following best practices and keeping their customers informed. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><div class="spu-placeholder" style="display:none"></div>