Campus Cybersecurity Awareness: The True Cost of Attacks on Higher Education

For campus technology leaders, the statistics are alarming: Higher education institutions saw ransomware attacks drop from 79% to 66% in 2024, but this rate still exceeds the global average of 59% across sectors. An IBM 2024 report also showed an average data breach cost of $4.88M. But these numbers only tell part of the story.

When the Los Angeles Unified School District faced a ransomware attack in fall 2022, their refusal to pay the ransom led to the release of 500 GB of sensitive data—including student psychological evaluations, Social Security numbers, and confidential medical records. This incident illuminates a critical truth: while we can quantify financial losses, the human cost of inadequate cybersecurity awareness creates ripple effects that persist long after the initial breach.

As cyber threats evolve and attack surfaces expand across campus networks, the question isn’t if your institution will face an attack, but when—and more importantly, who will bear the hidden costs of compromised security.

The Rising Threat to Campus Cybersecurity

The education sector saw a 70% increase in ransomware attacks in 2023. This surge isn’t random—cyber criminals specifically target educational institutions for their vast stores of sensitive data, complex networks, and diverse user bases.

For campus technology leaders, this presents a unique challenge: how do you protect an environment designed for openness and academic freedom while maintaining robust security?

Student Impact: Mental Health and Long-Term Consequences

“What an unfair way to start your life—your Social Security number is already compromised, a threat that can resurface many years later,” observes Dr. Shaun McAlmont, former college president and education executive. This observation cuts to the heart of why campus cybersecurity awareness demands immediate attention: these breaches create vulnerabilities that can follow students throughout their careers.

Dr. Sarah Adler, Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University, identifies an even more immediate concern: “A student being part of a system that does not provide safety can experience increases in anxiety and depression,” she explains. “Once you start seeing increases in mental health issues, this creates an ‘anti-virtuous cycle’—if they can’t trust the system, it increases demands for mental and physical health resources.”

This erosion of trust manifests in ways that technology metrics can’t capture: students hesitating to access digital learning platforms, increased anxiety about personal data security, and a fundamental questioning of institutional integrity. For many students, these psychological impacts affect their academic performance and overall wellbeing in ways that may never be fully quantified. And that damages the core function of an educational institution: to enable learning.
 

When Systems Fail: Critical Infrastructure at Risk

The May 2022 closure of Lincoln College serves as a stark warning about the existential threat cyber criminals pose to educational institutions. After a ransomware attack rendered their recruitment, retention, and fundraising systems inoperable, the 157-year-old institution found itself unable to recover. While multiple factors contributed to the closure, the cyberattack delivered the decisive blow by crippling essential operations.

For campus security leaders, the Lincoln College case highlights several critical vulnerabilities:

• Interconnected system dependencies
• Limited recovery capabilities
• Mission-critical system exposure
• Fundraising and financial system vulnerabilities
• Enrollment management system risks

The Healthcare Dimension: Amplified Risk for University Medical Centers

University systems operating medical centers face a compound threat that demands heightened cybersecurity awareness. Educational institutions already experience the highest rate of malware encounters across sectors, while healthcare ranks third.

For institutions with medical facilities, the stakes extend beyond data protection to patient care continuity and research integrity. Developing a strong cybersecurity culture across campus can significantly mitigate risks and create a safer digital environment for all users through a comprehensive approach that spans both educational and healthcare contexts.
Read more about the impacts of cyberattacks on the healthcare sector in our upcoming report.

Building a Culture of Cyber Awareness: A Framework for Action

Traditional cybersecurity measures focusing solely on technical controls are no longer sufficient. As Dr. McAlmont notes, “From anti-plagiarism software to online learning platforms like Canvas, think about all the systems that students’ information is going through on a regular basis.” This complexity demands a new approach to security awareness—one that creates a culture of cybersecurity across the entire campus community.

Key components of an effective campus cybersecurity awareness program include:

• Relevant Training Content: The training content sent to the campus community must be relevant, including sector-specific phishing simulations and storylines that appeal to a multigenerational community.
• Personalized Learning Plans: Creating resonant security awareness requires a multi-tiered, human-based approach that speaks to each campus community member’s specific role and responsibilities and delivers what’s most relevant to the right person.
• Engagement at Every Level: Effective programs must address the full spectrum of campus security needs, from student data to research security to healthcare safeguards. That means that every part of the campus community, from students and faculty to staff and leadership, must be involved.

Taking Action: Next Steps for Campus Technology Leaders

As cyber threats continue to evolve, institutions need comprehensive frameworks for protecting their communities. The financial costs of cyberattacks make headlines, but the human costs demand action. Building effective defense requires understanding the full scope of these impacts and implementing strategies that protect not just systems, but also the people.

Institutions can benefit from security awareness solutions that integrate real-time threat response, managed services, and campus-wide engagement to foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness and resilience.

Learn More About Protecting Your Campus Community

Download our comprehensive report, “Cybersecurity Awareness on Campus” to access:

• Detailed implementation frameworks designed specifically for higher education
• Case studies from leading institutions
• Compliance guidance for education sector regulations
• Metrics for measuring awareness program effectiveness
• Expert insights from education and security leaders

Take the first step toward creating a more secure campus environment. Your community’s security depends on building awareness.

About NINJIO

NINJIO reduces human-based cybersecurity risk through engaging training, personalized testing, and insightful reporting. Our multi-pronged approach to training focuses on the latest attack vectors to build employee knowledge and the behavioral science behind human engineering to sharpen users’ intuition. The proprietary NINJIO Risk Algorithm™ identifies users’ social engineering vulnerabilities based on NINJIO Phish3D phishing simulation data and informs content delivery to provide a personalized experience that changes individual behavior.