Cybersecurity for higher education institutions: adopting regulatory framework

Cybersecurity is defined as the protection of networks, data and systems in the cyberspace.  It should have the ability to protect or defend an organization’s use of cyberspace from any attack, conducted via cyberspace with the intention of disrupting, disabling, destroying, or maliciously controlling a computing environment and even destroying the integrity of the data or stealing controlled information. As the rapid technological developments have provided vast opportunities and potential sources of efficiency to every organization, these new technologies have also brought unprecedented threats and could be a critical issue for every organization.

In this study, Phase I delved into the different Cybersecurity frameworks and regulatory environments presented through review of related literature. One of the frameworks is the Cybersecurity Framework released in 2014 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Establishing an internal cyber security policies and procedures, management of cyber security risk and the alignment to international information security standards will be the highlight of the literature review of this study. The Phase II will focus on the design, and analysis of a specific cyber security dealings guided by the standard regulatory framework intended for selected State Universities in Region III in the Philippines. Facing the threat of cyber-attacks, the researchers believed that educational administrators and leaders need to implement the right solutions to protect their resources from cyber threats. All organizations need to understand these cyber threats they face. The challenge now is the establishment of imperative tasks related to preservation of confidentiality, integrity and availability of information in the Cyberspace while facilitating an essential operating function.