Cybersecurity on a Budget: A CISO’s Guide for Higher Ed

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, higher education institutions face a unique paradox: increasing cyber threats with stagnant or shrinking budgets.

While ransomware groups operate like well-funded businesses, with innovation cycles, R&D teams, and agile infrastructure, many universities are still defending themselves with legacy systems, understaffed teams, and limited one-year funding windows.

Yet the stakes have never been higher.

The Cost of Inaction: More Than Just Downtime

When it comes to cybersecurity, the real question isn’t “Can we afford to invest?”—it’s “Can we afford not to?”

A successful cyberattack can cost an institution millions. Consider the following:

• Ransomware payouts and recovery costs: In 2024, over 66% of higher education institutions reported being hit by ransomware. According to the “State of Ransomware in Education 2024” report by Sophos, higher education institutions reported a mean recovery cost of $4.02 million in 2024, a substantial increase from $1.06 million in 2023.
• Data breach fallout: Student records and research data are especially sensitive and highly marketable on the dark web. Breaches in higher education go far beyond immediate IT costs—they affect reputation, compliance, operations, and even student trust.
• Operational disruption: A ransomware incident can halt online learning, impact grading systems, and even delay admissions cycles.

Beyond the direct financial toll, there’s the reputational hit. Institutions pride themselves on trust, intellectual freedom, and academic excellence. A single breach can damage all three—sometimes irreparably.

Reframing Cybersecurity as Risk Mitigation, Not Overhead

Cybersecurity investments often get framed as technical or operational “line items” when they should be positioned as strategic risk mitigation tools.

Instead of pitching a new firewall or Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform as a tech upgrade, CISOs can reframe their ask:

• “This is how we reduce the probability and impact of a high-cost cyber event.”
• “This helps us meet compliance mandates (FERPA, GLBA, CMMC) and protect grant eligibility.”
• “This investment enables safe innovation across teaching, research, and public outreach.”

By aligning security initiatives with institutional mission and risk posture, leaders are more likely to support sustained investment, not just reactive spending after an incident.

Metrics That Matter to Academic Leadership

To gain buy-in from provosts, CFOs, and presidents, CISOs must speak their language. Focus on business and reputational outcomes, not just technical performance.

Here are a few effective metrics to include in your pitch:

• Time to detect, respond to, or recover from incidents (demonstrates resilience and operational readiness)
• Risk reduction per dollar spent (e.g., “$1 spent on endpoint protection reduces ransomware risk by X%”)
• Peer benchmarking (how your institution compares to others in your tier or conference)
• Compliance audit readiness (proactive indicators that reduce legal and funding risks)
• User engagement in awareness training and phishing simulations (proves cultural impact)

Pair these with qualitative stories: near misses, lessons learned, or examples of how other institutions suffered when they underinvested.

A Sample Budget Justification Framework

Here’s a simple structure to build a compelling cybersecurity budget proposal:

1. Risk Context: Frame the Why
   Start with a brief, evidence-backed summary of your institution’s cyber risk profile.

   Key Points to Include:

• • Highlight recent incidents or near-misses (internally or across peer institutions).
  • Use data: “The average recovery cost for ransomware in higher ed is $4.02M (Sophos, 2024).”
  • Align with industry benchmarks (such as NIST CSF).

Action Steps:

• • List your top three current risks (e.g., phishing, unpatched systems, vendor exposure).
  • Include a simple heatmap or risk scorecard.
  • Perform routine risk and security assessments.
  • Attach any recent audit findings, security and compliance gaps, or penetration test results.

2. Strategic Alignment: Connect to. Institutional Goals
   Show how your proposal supports institutional priorities, like digital transformation, data privacy, or research growth. Tie your proposal directly to the university’s strategic objectives—security is a means, not the end.

   Key Points to Include:

• • Show how your investment supports digital transformation, research, online learning, or compliance.
  • Link to student experience: “Secure infrastructure ensures uninterrupted access to course materials and grading systems.”
  • Reference institutional priorities like enrollment growth, donor trust, or innovation.

Action Steps:

• • Map each proposed cybersecurity investment to a strategic initiative.
  • Use real-world examples (e.g., “This upgrade protects data in our growing online grad program”).

3. Solution Summary: Explain Your Ask
   Outline what the requested funding will cover (tools, staff, services), along with expected outcomes. Provide a concise, non-technical overview of what you’re requesting and why.

   Key Points to Include:

• • Outline the investment (e.g., new Identity and Access Management, or IAM, platform, staff headcount, or staff training).
  • Use clear language: “This funding will support two FTEs to manage endpoint protection and security awareness.”
  • Show the current gap it will fill.

Action Steps:

• • Include a one-page table that displays the item, cost, business impact, and timeframe.
  • Specify recurring vs. one-time costs.
  • Mention vendor comparisons or pilot results if available.

4. Financial Impact: Show the ROI (or Cost of Inaction)
   Estimate the cost of inaction (based on peer incidents or modeling) vs. the investment required. If possible, quantify potential cost savings. Help leadership understand the business case, not just the technology.

   Key Points to Include:

• • Quantify the risk: “A breach could cost us $3.5 M+ and weeks of downtime.”
  • Compare costs: “This $300K investment reduces a $2M risk exposure by 40%.”
  • Tie funding to regulatory risk: “Supports GLBA and FERPA compliance, reducing audit exposure.”

Action Steps:

• • Use simple cost/risk modeling (expected loss = likelihood × impact).
  • Outline recovery time objectives (RTOs).
  • Share peer incidents or breach case studies with known costs.
  • Include cyber insurance implications (lower premiums, maintained eligibility).

5. KPIs and Accountability: Commit to Measurable Results
   Present the success metrics you’ll use to evaluate and report progress, helping leaders feel confident in their investment.

   Key Points to Include:

• • List three to five performance metrics you’ll track post-investment.
  • Example KPIs: incident response time, phishing click rates, compliance audit pass rates.
  • Share a timeline for implementation and reporting.

Action Steps:

• • Offer quarterly reporting to the board or IT steering committee.
  • Commit to annual ROI reviews or tabletop exercises.
  • Mention internal champions (e.g., partnering with risk/compliance teams).

Final Thoughts

Higher education CISOs aren’t just defenders of networks—they’re guardians of trust, continuity, and intellectual capital. In an environment where every dollar is scrutinized, the ability to frame cybersecurity as a strategic enabler, not just a technical necessity, is more important than ever.

With the right narrative, data, and alignment, even resource-constrained institutions can make meaningful progress toward a safer, more resilient digital future.

CampusGuard specializes in many of the actionable steps mentioned above, such as phishing exercises, penetration testing, tabletop exercises, compliance assessments, training, vendor security reviews, and more. We are your trusted cybersecurity and compliance partner and are committed to securing your institution at any budget. Contact us to learn more and get started!