I agree with your columnist Marietje Schaake in her view that western governments should support universities better against cyber attacks, but her focus is too narrow (“Knowledge and data need protection from cyber attack”, Opinion, August 25).
Yes, universities are at high risk of state-sponsored attacks as rival countries seek to steal intellectual property. The challenge is compounded by the open, liberal culture of western higher education.
Many academics have administration privileges a user in any other organisation could only dream of and students are, understandably, rarely focused on cyber risk.
But we must not forget that financially-motivated cyber attacks launched by criminal groups are just as socially disruptive and make up the bulk of cyber attacks today.
Of particular concern is machine-speed ransomware where the effects of a successful attack are sudden and enduring — such as the temporary two-week closure of one school in Scotland in 2020.
So it is important that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the US shifts its focus from a limited number of traditional critical national infrastructure sectors, as Schaake advocates, to a whole nation approach, as the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has done.
We still can’t afford to be complacent in the UK. The NCSC would no doubt welcome increased resources so as to be able to devote more time and attention to the threat facing all industry sectors, for the greater good of the nation.
Toby Lewis
Global Head of Threat Analysis
Darktrace, London WC2, UK