We are thrilled to announce a partnership between CAUDIT (Council of Australasian University Directors of Information Technology) and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) to establish the CAUDIT third party risk management and cybersecurity benchmarking service. The service is modelled on the Canadian cybersecurity benchmarking service developed by TMU for the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers (CUCCIO). This collaboration with TMU marks a significant milestone in enhancing the cybersecurity resilience of our respective higher education Member Institutions.
Key Benefits of the CAUDIT-TMU Partnership:
- Volume purchasing: CAUDIT and CUCCIO will leverage our collective purchasing power to secure cost-effective access to BitSight's cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. This ensures that our Member Institutions can strengthen their defences against evolving threats while optimising cybersecurity budgets.
- Benchmarking: The service makes use of BitSight’s rating scores and custom surveys to provide detailed benchmarking data and reports. Members can compare performance to their anonymised peers and track their progress against best practices. CAUDIT and CUCCIO benchmarking participants can share insights, benchmarks, and best practices, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity postures across the higher education sector.
- Continuous security monitoring: The service provides a nightly feed of current security observations from both BitSight and Shodan that can help Members improve their security posture.
- Vendor assessments: Unlimited BitSight cybersecurity reports on third-party vendors can be provided on request. The performance of third-party vendors commonly used in higher education can also be tracked continuously.
- International collaboration: Recognising the global nature of cybersecurity threats, collaboration between the CAUDIT and CUCCIO benchmarking services facilitates international collaboration. Member institutions can engage in knowledge exchange, and collaborative cybersecurity uplift, creating a united front to mature the global higher education and research sector cybersecurity profile.
This partnership underscores our commitment to advancing the cybersecurity resilience of higher education Institutions. By pooling resources, expertise, and technology, CAUDIT, TMU and CUCCIO are establishing a model for collaborative cybersecurity that goes beyond traditional boundaries.
We invite all CAUDIT Member Institutions to actively participate in and benefit from this new service. Together, we can elevate the cybersecurity posture of our sector and ensure a more secure digital environment for our academic communities.
