Preparing for Climate Change and Cyberattacks

Formerly titled: Managing the Unimaginable

How institutions can plan for existential threats

The last several years have shown how quickly and drastically the unthinkable can upend colleges' expectations. That's why college leaders must plan and prepare for managing the unimaginable.

Climate change and cyberattacks can seem so far-off that they become low priorities on a day-to-day basis, but their impact on colleges' campuses, operations, and ability to achieve their missions can be existential. The effects of wildfires, floods, drought, and more-intense storms have already forced colleges to recover and rebuild, and many institutions are taking steps to adapt in anticipation of what's to come. The risks aren't just physical. Universities, with their vast storehouses of data, their ethos of providing access to information, and their highly distributed and decentralized operations, have become prime targets of hackers and other cybercriminals.

To manage these challenges, colleges will need to adopt a 21st-century conception of resilience — the ability to survive and thrive amid evolving and intensifying threats.

Purchase this report to:

• Learn about how climate change is affecting colleges in different regions of the country.
• Deepen your understanding of how to plan so that your institution can respond to the unpredictability of climate emergencies.
• Understand the importance of revising and practicing emergency plans and risk assessments.
• Think about the unexpected consequences, on enrollments and budgets, of climate change.
  
• Learn about weaknesses that hackers tend to exploit and discover how other colleges have responded to data ransoms.
• Discover strategies that help fortify cyber operations against attack.

Date: September 2021
Pages: 66
Digital file size: 7 MB

Learn more about digital licensing options and request a quote. For group purchases of less than 100 users, please refer to our bulk pricing.