Taxonomy of Challenges of Cybersecurity Risk Assessment in Higher Learning Institutions

The use of information technology and related processes has permeated into organizations of all sizes. Higher learning institutions are described as open, multi-modal platforms whose organizational complexity can increase vulnerability to information security breaches. Several high-profile cyberattacks have occurred on universities and colleges, including ransomware attacks resulting in data breaches and system shutdowns. In some cases, universities have had to pay large sums to regain system access. The following research objective guided the study: (1) Establish cyber security posture in Higher Learning institutions. The literature highlighted that the critical cybersecurity challenges in most Higher learning institutions, in general, are a lack of cybersecurity governance and risk assessment frameworks, a lack of incident management plans, and a lack of national and regional legal frameworks related to cybersecurity, a lack of security awareness and education programs; and a lack of national and international legal frameworks related to cybersecurity.