Cyber impact

Many universities and colleges will have suffered a cyber attack in recent years, but our research suggests that the full impact of those attacks is unknown.

In November 2020, a report commissioned by Jisc assessed the effect on staff resource, students, researchers, reputation and budget. In April 2022, a second version of this report was published, updated with more recent case studies and the latest guidance.

Intended as a means of strengthening understanding of cyber risk and promoting internal discussion, particularly among senior leaders, the reports also offer advice on how institutions can improve their defences and shorten recovery times.

Using information in Jisc’s annual cyber security posture survey and deep-dive interviews with 12 universities and four further education providers that have been affected by cyber attacks, the report is set against a background of increasing threats.