Why do higher educational institutions keep getting hacked?
UK’s cyber security centre warns of increasing attacks on university computer networks
Higher educational institutions across the UK and neighbouring countries have seen an increasing number of cyber crimes in recent months. It’s unclear why universities and grant agencies have been targeted or whether the perpetrators have any motivation beyond financial gain.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned that there has been a rise in hacks at UK educational institutions since late February. ‘There’s definitely some kind of ongoing campaign against educational and research establishments,’ says Alan Woodward, a computer scientist at the University of Surrey. ‘Nobody quite knows why.’