Universities in the crosshairs: SK Shieldus builds AI-powered integrated security for campuses

SK Shieldus is stepping up efforts to counter the growing wave of cyberattacks targeting universities, with plans to provide tailored services — including managed detection and response (MDR), attack surface management (ASM) and penetration testing — to some 360 institutions nationwide.

The company announced Monday that it signed a three-way MOU with the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) and cybersecurity firm Escape Solution on Sunday to strengthen campus cybersecurity across the country. The signing ceremony was attended by Kim Byung-moo, head of SK Shieldus's cybersecurity division; Ko Gil-gon, president of KERIS; and Lee Hae-jin, CEO of Escape Solution.

Universities have increasingly become prime targets for cyberattacks as they consolidate large volumes of sensitive data — including academic records, research data, and personal information of faculty and students — within digital environments. A successful breach can cause not only data leaks but also serious disruption to education and research operations, underscoring the urgent need to bolster campus security.

According to EQST, SK Shieldus's white-hat hacker group, ransomware attacks exposed 330 education-sector records on the dark web last year, a roughly 26 percent increase from the previous year.

The three-way agreement was designed to proactively address cyber threats in the AI era and help create a stable, secure environment for university education and research.

The three organizations plan to build a close cooperation framework covering the sharing of security threat intelligence and the joint development of security policy, with the goal of systematically raising the level of protection across education and research settings.

Under the agreement, SK Shieldus and Escape Solution will supply the approximately 360 KERIS member universities with up-to-date information on security threats and vulnerabilities. The partners will also develop joint products and run co-promotional campaigns to encourage broader adoption of security services.

Taking into account the open network architecture and academic operating environment typical of universities, SK Shieldus will offer a suite of tailored cybersecurity services, including MDR, ASM, penetration testing and security consulting.

At the core of the offering is Secudium, an AI-powered security operations center that runs around the clock, 365 days a year. Working in tandem with Top-CERT, the company's dedicated incident response unit, the system is designed to detect threat indicators and mount a rapid response from the earliest stages of an attack.

"The need to upgrade security frameworks at universities — where cutting-edge research and sensitive personal data converge — is becoming ever more pressing," Kim Byung-moo said. "We will provide services optimized for the university environment and contribute to building a safe and trustworthy space for learning and research."