FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODNI News Release No. 26-25
August 25, 2025
NCSC and Partners Issue New Guidance to Help U.S. Colleges and Universities Mitigate Emerging Foreign Threats to Their Research as School Year Begins
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's (ODNI) National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) and its federal partners issued new guidance in its Safeguarding Academia bulletin to alert U.S. colleges and universities about increasing foreign threats to their research and to arm them with mitigation strategies for addressing these threats.
NCSC issued this bulletin in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF); the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); the Department of Education (ED); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command (ACIC); the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI); the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA); the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); and others across the federal government and academic community.
“U.S. colleges and universities drive critical research that fuels America’s innovation and economic growth, advances our global competitiveness, and contributes to U.S. national security. However, foreign adversaries are increasingly exploiting the open and collaborative environment of U.S. academic institutions for their own gain,” said James Cangialosi, NCSC Acting Director. “Today’s bulletin highlights this evolving security threat and provides mitigation strategies that academic institutions can implement to better protect their research, their institutions, as well as their staff and students. With the new school year starting, it’s critical to get these materials in the hands of academic institutions now.”
The joint bulletin and accompanying quick reference guides for institutions and researchers provide information on the threats, as well as indicators, impact, mitigation, and where to report incidents.
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