The UbuntuNet Alliance, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), recently hosted the second webinar in a series aimed at revolutionizing higher education and research institutions across Africa. Building upon the success of the first webinar earlier this year, this joint event provided a platform to showcase the remarkable achievements of universities that have embraced cloud services in their operations. The webinar also delved into the ways in which AWS services can empower institutions to build resilient systems and tackle the increasing threat of ransomware attacks.
During the webinar, held on June 29, 2023, Robin Njiru the AWS regional lead started off by captivating attendees with inspiring success stories from universities in Africa and national research and education networks (NREN) from around the world that have harnessed cloud services to enhance student experiences. With AWS’s assistance, these institutions achieved their goals by leveraging specific services that resulted in cost savings, increased speed, enhanced agility, and improved system availability. AWS’s contribution to their success has been invaluable, empowering universities to focus on delivering quality education while entrusting the management of their systems to AWS’s robust infrastructure.
The webinar’s second segment presented by Shadrack Anyuo delved into the critical topic of building resilient systems using AWS services. This part of the session shed light on the challenges faced by higher education and research institutions, particularly the rising menace of ransomware attacks. AWS showcased how institutions can establish a resilient and robust environment using AWS Backups, leveraging the global AWS infrastructure. By replicating systems across multiple Availability Zones, AWS ensures durability and high availability, offering an effective solution to safeguard against data loss and system downtime. African universities can now embark on their academic pursuits with confidence, knowing that AWS has their back.
In recent years, research institutions and universities have increasingly become targets of ransomware attacks, posing a significant threat to their operations and data security. The webinar emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue. AWS highlighted the value of AWS Backups in fortifying institutions’ cybersecurity posture, providing swift recovery mechanisms in the event of an attack. By deploying AWS Backups and replicating data across multiple Availability Zones, institutions can minimize the impact of ransomware incidents, allowing them to resume normal operations promptly.
Beyond security benefits, AWS services unlock vast opportunities for seamless collaboration and information sharing across departments within universities. The webinar emphasized the importance of creating a flexible and scalable infrastructure to support innovation and collaboration in the modern education landscape. AWS’s advanced technology enables African higher education institutions to transcend traditional boundaries, facilitating efficient storage, collaboration, and knowledge exchange across various disciplines and departments. With AWS as their ally, universities can focus on their core mission while benefiting from cutting-edge tools that drive academic excellence.
Find the recording to the webinar by clicking on this: Recording
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