Securing University Research: Highlights from the 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report

Research security was one of the practices highlighted in the 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report, and for good reason. We?ve seen in the news that opportunistic cybercriminals and nation-state actors are targeting COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research. Although these attempts to steal intellectual property or disrupt progress are newsworthy, pandemic-related information is not the only research at risk. According to the NSF, total university-performed R&D surpasses $64 billion a year, and the sad truth is that all such research is increasingly under attack by hackers. This session examines why securing your research is so important, why research environments pose unique challenges?including the coming requirement for federal funding (CMMC), steps some universities are taking now?and logical steps to protect your research.