BACKGROUND

Modern academic institutions are susceptible to data breaches and cyber-attacks due to their open and collaborative IT environment with thousands of disparate users and widely adopted BYOD (bring your own devices) practices. Vast volumes of personal and research data make universities ideal targets for cybercriminals.

UEA offers a blended approach to learning and teaching with cutting-edge digital services that enable studying and coaching from anywhere. This includes a remote desktop service to access a campus-based computer and a virtual learning environment to access course materials, submit assignments, and attend online lectures. With over 700 computers and 6,000 wireless access points across the entire campus, the UEA network provides resilient, fast connections for offices, student residences, and teaching spaces. The network links to an on-site data center, cloud services, and the wider internet.

The UEA IT team aims to maintain campus network availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The main focus of the UEA security team is to establish university-wide security policies and maintain a strong security posture that includes balanced endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, security monitoring, and proactive threat hunting to mitigate cyber-attacks.