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Universities in NRW: Cybersecurity in focus – 41 million for protection!
On May 7th, the Senate of the FernUniversität Hagen met and discussed important topics such as cybersecurity and university financing.
Universities in NRW: Cybersecurity in focus – 41 million for protection!
On May 7, 2025, the Senate of the FernUniversität in the German higher education system met for the 287th time. This session covered significant topics that could have a significant impact on the future of the university. Among the points discussed, the university agreement with the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia was particularly important. This mutual partnership is intended to continue to promote the educational landscape and support innovative projects in university teaching.
Another important topic was the funding of the Innovation in University Teaching Foundation for the LEAD:FUH (Learning Empowerment through Analytics and Data) project. In addition, a cybersecurity awareness program was presented to sensitize members of the university community to the growing threats in the digital space. The 2024 fee report and operating costs for Microsoft 365 were also discussed. Other items on the agenda included the awarding of the research prize, the definition of job profiles for researchers and senior researchers and the by-election of members of the Senate commissions for various departments.
Cybersecurity in North Rhine-Westphalia
Cybersecurity and digital security at universities are a high priority, especially due to the increasing threats from cybercrime. According to that Ministry of Culture and Science North Rhine-Westphalia The threat situation in national cyberspace is very high. Universities face special challenges in information and IT security. The state government provides significant resources to promote security. In 2023, 41.15 million euros were made available from a special fund to improve resilience in the area of cybersecurity.
The measures include, among other things, the acquisition of software solutions for vulnerability management, the introduction of two-factor authentication and the development of information security management systems. A basic IT service for cross-university data backup is also being funded with around 14 million euros to secure the digital infrastructure. From 2024, an agreement on cybersecurity will also come into force, providing 4.7 million euros annually for the creation of 66 positions in the field of cybersecurity.
Demands for more responsibility
The University Rectors' Conference (HRK) emphasizes that universities in Germany are increasingly becoming the target of cyber attacks. The complexity of the IT infrastructure and the large number of students and employees lead to particular vulnerability. In order to counteract this trend, the rectors are calling for more financial resources from the federal government to strengthen cybersecurity.
HRK President Prof. Dr. Walter Rosenthal emphasizes the need for the federal government to use targeted resources to improve cybersecurity, since responsibility for this security lies jointly with universities, states and the federal government. The previous research funding on cybersecurity is recognized, but the HRK considers additional initiatives and projects to be necessary to develop new protection and defense technologies.
In summary, it can be said that intensive efforts are being made both at the level of the FernUniversität and across the entire university landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia to meet the challenges of cybersecurity and to ensure digital security for everyone involved.