Helping Scientists Understand Research Cyber Risks
Cyber attacks don’t just hit big corporations or governments or hospitals. Anything connected to networks is vulnerable, and that includes research and open science.
In general, scientists who use computers and other devices plugged into computer networks are aware of cyber threats. Often though they have little knowledge about the specific threats to systems like theirs, what to do about them, or the degree to which these threats target open science projects.
We developed the Open Source Cyber Risk Profile (OSCRP), an online framework to help scientists understand how their research might be affected by cyber attacks, even if they are not the target but simply collateral damage. It also helps scientists learn how to talk with information security personnel at their institutions about risks and the best ways to mitigate them.