Would you bet millions of dollars on the strength of your current data management system? College campuses around the globe may be making that wager every day, hoping their plans and systems are enough to handle the ever-increasing volume of data and combat cyber attacks.
According to a recent article from University Business, the education sector has the second highest per capita cost of cleaning up a data breach, estimated at $294 per capita. And if money weren’t enough of a motivator, protecting the trust and investment students, parents and faculty put into an institution certainly would be.
Administrators in higher education are juggling intense volumes of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) including electronic student records, social security numbers, transcripts and more – and often doing it with fewer resources. Federal law (FERPA) requires colleges and universities to protect sensitive data, and each set of information may be regulated by different policies to be compliant, thereby compounding the issue. It may seem like a never-ending battle.
While data can be cumbersome, it also provides an amazing opportunity to tap into statistics like demographics and student populations that can improve university operations. But there’s a catch. All these data sets have to be accessible and searchable to be usable. With FortresStore, administrators are able to centralize and automate the data management process while also ensuring data is in a secure repository. FortresStore allows users to search metadata for faster records retrieval and automate the retention of data across storage tiers according to the university’s needs. So, while security is paramount, making the data work better for universities is the reward. Institutions shouldn’t have to sacrifice either one.
What will it cost in time and money to secure your system for the long-term and what will it cost if you don’t?
Download the new eBook from ViON, A Guide for Universities: Developing a Long-Term Plan for Data Management. Learn more about PII, handling research data and overall data volume. Find out what issues affect the strength and security of your system and what options are available to ensure long-term success.