Empowering Students and Staff: The Intersection of IAM and University Success
Compared to industries that are mature in terms of their identity infrastructure, such as banking, insurance, and telecommunications, the higher education industry is somewhat behind, lacking prioritisation and investment in identity access management and cybersecurity in general. With the rapid pace of technological change and constantly increasing and evolving security threats, identity security is more of a necessity for higher education than ever before. These unique threats and challenges within the industry require tailored solutions and CyberIAM is here to guide you through this journey, offering scalable solutions to fit any budget.
Identity Access Management in Higher Education: The Challenges
Universities face a myriad of distinct challenges when it comes to managing the identities of an extremely diverse user base, including full-time students, part-time students, employees, and alumni. These challenges are amplified by the dynamic nature of higher education institutions, and the stakes are high.
1. Complex User Types, Decentralised Identities and Lifecycle Management
Universities serve a wide range of users, each with different access requirements. Students, whether full-time or part-time, have different needs from faculty, staff, or alumni. Students who take up employment within the organisation either during or after study further complicate the user base. In addition to this, there could be public facing learning systems which allow external users to register and further complicate the enforcement of identity management controls. This blend of user types often results in fragmented identity management systems that make it difficult to manage permissions and monitor access.
2. Lack of Access Termination Policies
Unlike other industries where legislation mandates strict access control policies, higher education institutions often lack the same level of regulatory pressure. As a result, students and staff may retain access to university systems long after they leave or retire, which not only creates security risks but also raises concerns around data privacy and potential breaches.
3. Seasonal IT Activity
One of the unique aspects of the higher education sector is the rapid turnover of students and faculty at the start of every academic year. This creates a surge in IT activity as new accounts need to be created, and existing accounts must be adjusted. This cyclical demand for high IT processing power is uncommon in other industries, where user accounts remain more stable throughout the year.
4. Low Tech-Savvy User Base
Students are the predominant user base in universities and as a demographic, tend to be less experienced with IT systems compared to employees in industries like finance or telecoms. This lack of technical expertise means that identity management systems in higher education must prioritise user experience. Complex or unintuitive interfaces will only frustrate users, making it essential for universities to adopt systems that are easy to navigate.
5. Privileged Access Management (PAM) Concerns
In universities, certain individuals, like professors or researchers, require privileged access to sensitive systems or data. However, these individuals often have little interest in managing their IT access so that they can spend their time working on the main focus of their role. Without robust Privileged Access Management (PAM) systems in place, universities could be leaving a significant gap in their security infrastructure.
6. Vulnerabilities Due to Legacy Systems
Many universities rely on outdated IT systems that have grown organically over time, often managed by long-term staff with specialised knowledge. This creates a "single point of failure," where key IT processes are dependent on a few individuals. Additionally, without modern identity management systems, universities are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Statistics show that universities are frequently targeted due to these security gaps.
7. Licensing and Persona Management Challenges
With free software licensing available for students, such as that from Microsoft, universities must manage user personas carefully. A student may later take on a staff role, leading to confusion around which persona (student or employee) should be active. Without clear processes in place, universities could find themselves paying for unnecessary licenses or failing to properly allocate costs.
How CyberIAM Can Help
CyberIAM offers universities and other higher education facilities a comprehensive approach to identity management, tailored to the unique challenges faced. Whether the institution is beginning its identity security journey, needs a full-scale implementation, or just a little help and expert guidance, CyberIAM provides solutions that are flexible, scalable, and effective.
1. Tailored Identity Security Strategy
At CyberIAM, we understand that each university has different needs and constraints. That's why we offer customisable solutions. Whether it's a light or full-scale engagement, we’ve got you covered. Our team of highly skilled and fully trained experts can work within the constraints of a university's budget while delivering a high-impact strategy and roadmap for improving identity management. Read about our Current State Assessment here.
2. Full Implementation Support
For universities ready to overhaul their identity management processes, CyberIAM can provide end-to-end implementation support. From privileged access management (PAM) systems to modern, user-friendly interfaces, we ensure that the institution's identity management infrastructure is secure, scalable, and simple to use.
3. Identity Lifecycle Management
We help universities manage the entire identity lifecycle—from onboarding new students and staff to de-provisioning access for those who leave. This ensures that accounts are terminated promptly, reducing security risks and streamlining user access management.
4. Enhanced User Experience
Understanding that students are often less tech-savvy than their counterparts in other industries, CyberIAM prioritises the implementation of user-friendly identity management systems, provided by our world class vendor partners. Our solutions simplify processes, ensuring that students can easily navigate their access systems without requiring extensive IT support.
5. Mitigating Licensing Costs
By helping universities manage user personas more effectively, CyberIAM ensures that licensing costs are kept under control. Our solutions provide visibility into whether a user is a student or an employee, allowing institutions to optimise licensing and reduce unnecessary costs.
Secure the Future of your Institution with CyberIAM
The landscape of higher education is rapidly changing, and identity security is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. With the increasing threat of cyberattacks and the need to streamline IT processes, universities must prioritise identity management strategies now.
CyberIAM is here to help. Having worked with numerous organisations to strengthen their identity security, we are ready to support higher education institutions through what can be an inhospitable landscape to navigate without the right team. From strategy development to full implementation, we offer the best solutions from top vendors, tailored, deployed, implemented and managed by our renowned business and technical consultants, to the unique needs of the education sector.
Does This Sound Relevant to You?
Get in touch
If you would like more information about CyberIAM’s Services
offering, contact us here and a member of our specialised team will be in touch as soon as
possible
Current State Assessment guide
Access our comprehensive current state assessment guide to discover how we initiate our end-to-end analysis, setting the foundation for providing you with the best possible advice.
CyberIAM are ready to serve you.