The Foundation of Fortress: Why Security Visibility is Non-Negotiable

Higher education institutions are prime targets for cyberattacks due to the vast amounts of sensitive data they manage. The complexity of university networks, with diverse users and numerous devices including IoT and specialized research equipment, expands the attack surface. Traditional security approaches struggle against modern threats, necessitating a shift towards proactive strategies built on comprehensive visibility.

Security visibility in higher education means having a clear, continuous understanding of every asset connected to the network. This includes IT infrastructure, operational technology, and IoT/IoMT devices, along with their configurations, behaviors, software, and vulnerabilities. Effective protection requires knowing what needs to be secured.

Comprehensive asset visibility is crucial for effective vulnerability management. By understanding all connected assets, security teams can accurately identify and prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact. Armis Centrix™ provides continuous asset discovery and vulnerability identification across IT, OT, IoT, and IoMT, enabling efficient prioritization of remediation efforts. Armis Centrix™ for VIPR further streamlines this process for OT environments.

Security visibility offers a holistic view of risks across all institutional missions, including research. Research environments, handling sensitive data and specialized equipment, particularly benefit from this comprehensive understanding. Armis Centrix™ delivers unified visibility across IT, OT, and cloud environments, facilitating consistent risk management across all departments.

In the event of a security incident, comprehensive visibility is vital for rapid detection, containment, and remediation. Understanding compromised assets and exploited vulnerabilities allows for a swift and precise response, minimizing damage. Armis Centrix™ offers continuous monitoring and anomaly detection, alerting security teams to suspicious activities and accelerating incident investigation.

In conclusion, security visibility is essential for protecting higher education institutions. It enables effective vulnerability prioritization, proactive risk management, and timely incident response. Platforms like Armis Centrix provide the necessary capabilities for achieving this critical visibility across complex university IT environments. Investing in security visibility is crucial for the resilience and future success of these institutions.