Data breaches can be costly
Data breaches and cyberattacks have become a defining security challenge of this decade, especially for developing countries. Hostile actors, including anti-national elements, increasingly exploit digital weaknesses to destabilise nations. Countering this threat demands a coordinated response from individuals, institutions, and governments.
In India, defence, finance, and public service systems have long been targets. Now, educational institutions are firmly in the crosshairs. A recent pilot study, “Exploring Cyber Threats and Digital Risks to Indian Educational Institutions”, found the sector suffered over two lakh cyberattacks and nearly four lakh data breaches in just nine months.
The study results released coincided with the launch of the “Cyber First Responder” programme to train students, faculty, librarians, and staff against cyber threats, deepfakes, and AI misuse.
The findings are stark. Between July 2023 and April 2024, researchers logged more than 8,000 unique usernames and 54,000 unique passwords used in brute-force attacks. Predictable targets like “root” and “admin” were hit repeatedly, with weak passwords such as “123456” and “password” among the most attempted.
The study concluded that Indian educational institutions are likely five times more vulnerable to data breaches than peers with stronger cyber hygiene. Dismissing attacks on schools and colleges as low-stakes would be a mistake. The motives are serious: impersonation of faculty, phishing scams, creation of deepfake content, theft of sensitive research, and even leaking of exam papers.
Such breaches can undo years of academic work, compromise intellectual property, and, in cases involving defence or strategic research, pose risks to national security. Protecting this sector must become a priority.
First, institutions need basic cyber hygiene. Mandatory multi-factor authentication, regular password audits, and a ban on default credentials like “admin” would block the majority of brute-force attempts seen in the study. Second, capacity building is critical.
The “Cyber First Responder” model is a strong start. Every campus needs trained staff and students who can identify phishing, report incidents, and respond within the crucial first hour of a breach. Cyber awareness cannot be a one-time workshop; it must be embedded in orientation, faculty training, and library services.
Third, collaboration is non-negotiable. Universities should share threat intelligence with CERT-In, other institutions, and cybersecurity forums. Real-time information on attack patterns helps everyone patch vulnerabilities faster.
Adopting recognised standards and frameworks will ensure consistency across thousands of colleges with uneven IT budgets.
Fourth, research security needs special attention. Labs handling strategic or dual-use technology require air-gapped networks, strict access controls, and regular audits. Data classification policies must separate open academic work from sensitive projects.
Finally, funding matters. Many institutions lack dedicated IT security budgets. Central and state governments, along with UGC and AICTE, should earmark grants for cybersecurity upgrades, just as they fund physical infrastructure. Insurance and compliance incentives can push private colleges to act.
The classroom is now critical infrastructure. When a breach can derail research, erode trust in exams, or leak data that harms national interest, cybersecurity becomes part of the education mandate itself. By combining strong passwords with stronger policies, trained people with shared intelligence, India can ensure its campuses remain places of learning, not gateways for attack.
