Higher Education Security

Cybersecurity for Campus
Networks That
Never Stand Still

From student BYOD and research systems to clinical environments and smart campus infrastructure, ORDR delivers complete asset intelligence and turns it into safe, policy-based enforcement. Protect your campus without disrupting academics, research, or student life.

861%
Increase in IoT attacks on higher education in 2025
7 devices
Per student on average connecting to campus networks
40%
Of institutions take 1+ month to recover from an attack
The Challenge

Campus Environments Were Built for Openness, Not Security

Higher education is built on openness, but attackers exploit it. Without accurate device intelligence and safe policy enforcement, that openness becomes exposure, putting research, operations, and institutional trust at risk.

861%

Increase in IoT cyberattacks in higher education in 2025, the highest of any sector

41%

Year-over-year increase in total cyberattacks (first half of 2025)

74%

Of attacks against higher education succeed, vs. 68% in business

40%

Of institutions take over a month to recover, double the global average

Expanding BYOD Attack Surface

Students arrive with an average of 7 IoT devices each, multiplying endpoint exposure. BYOD policies create unmanaged endpoint proliferation across every campus network.

Research Networks Under Pressure

Research networks require open collaboration while protecting sensitive, federally funded data. The same openness that enables discovery creates persistent attack paths.

Complex Multi-Campus Infrastructure

Smart buildings, athletic facilities, and residence halls add thousands of IoT devices. Legacy systems remain in use due to budget constraints.

High-Value Targets, Lean Teams

Campus networks house student records, financial systems, medical data, and federally funded research, all within a highly distributed environment managed by lean IT teams.

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Customer Story

Complete Campus Visibility

Richmond upon Thames College

The Challenge

Over time, device visibility had eroded, creating blind spots across the campus network. Student BYOD devices (many unmanaged and unpatched) posed a continuous risk, making it difficult to protect users while maintaining an open learning environment.

"We had lost sight of all of the devices that were attached over the years; we needed to understand exactly what was connected to ensure no 'back-doors' or vulnerabilities could be exploited."

Stephen Hacon, IT Manager, Richmond upon Thames College

Results

  • Full visibility across all campus-connected devices

  • Real-time detection of abnormal behavior and potential threats

  • Automated segmentation to isolate risky or compromised devices

  • Faster response with integrated alerts and security workflows

"With the ORDR user-friendly dashboard, we are now able to identify potential security vulnerabilities, allowing us to effectively secure our network with just a few clicks."

Stephen Hacon, Richmond upon Thames College
How ORDR Secures Higher Education

Control Without Compromise

ORDR transforms campus complexity into actionable intelligence and safe enforcement, giving universities the control to protect open environments without disrupting them.

Agentless Discovery

Passively identifies every wired and wireless device across campus: no agents, no scanning, no risk to device operation

Benefit

Immediate visibility into all campus-connected devices in 48–72 hours

Behavioral Context

Builds baselines from real device communication patterns before enforcing any policy

Benefit

Accurate enforcement based on how devices actually operate, not assumptions

Zero Trust Enforcement

Generates validated segmentation policies, simulates impact before deployment, enforces through existing infrastructure

Benefit

Protects critical systems without impacting academics, research, or clinical workflows

Lateral Movement Containment

Restricts device-to-device communication paths based on least privilege

Benefit

Stops threats from spreading across campus networks

ORDR IQ Orchestration

AI-powered natural language access to device intelligence, risk insights, and automated ticket routing

Benefit

Small teams manage large, distributed environments efficiently

Continuous Compliance

Generates audit-ready reports for FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, and PCI DSS on demand

Benefit

No manual evidence collection: always audit-ready

Compliance

Compliance Made Continuous, Not Periodic

Higher education institutions face a complex web of regulatory requirements. ORDR delivers continuous enforcement and audit-ready reporting, without manual effort.

RegulationWhat It CoversHow ORDR Helps
FERPAProtection of student records and personally identifiable informationEnforces access controls based on device identity and behavior, with audit-ready activity tracking
HIPAAProtection of health information in campus medical systemsContinuously monitors devices and enforces segmentation to protect sensitive health systems
GLBASafeguarding financial aid and student financial dataProvides real-time visibility, risk prioritization, and compliance reporting across financial systems
PCI DSSProtection of payment data across campus retail and servicesSegments cardholder environments and restricts unauthorized access to payment systems
Research ComplianceProtection of federally funded research and controlled dataIsolated research networks with verified access controls and enforcement of data handling requirements

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Frequently Asked Questions

Secure Your Campus
Without Compromise

Higher education environments demand openness, but that shouldn't come at the cost of security. See how leading institutions move from visibility to action.

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