About SNSI
The Scholarly Networks Security Initiative (SNSI) is an international forum that brings together publishers, libraries, and institutions to combat the threat of cybercrime.
Who we are
SNSI exists to help combat cybercrime in scholarly publishing and the research ecosystem. We are a group of publishers, learned societies, libraries, universities, and technology companies working together to address shared cybersecurity challenges.
Cybercrime threatens the integrity of the scientific record, scholarly systems and the safety of institutional and personal data. Cybersecurity in this sector is complex, and the stakes too high for any single organization to tackle alone. That is why we bring together the people and organizations best placed to respond. We share intelligence, develop resources, host an annual SNSI Security Summit, and advocate for a more secure and resilient research ecosystem.
Why cybersecurity matters in scholarly communications
The higher education and scholarly publishing sectors are significant targets for cyber-attack – and the risks are wide-ranging. They include credential theft, ransomware, and attacks on research data and personal information. These all threaten the integrity of the scholarly record and the trust that the research ecosystem depends on.
Some of these threats come from criminals seeking financial gain; others from state-sponsored actors seeking research data or intellectual property for strategic advantage. Known pirate sites such as Sci-Hub add a further dimension to this threat. Built on stolen research papers harvested using stolen credentials, they undermine efforts to ensure the scholarly record is accurate, ethical, and correctable.
Read more about Why cybersecurity matters in scholarly communications.
A collaborative approach to cybersecurity threats
No publisher, library, university, or institution can address these challenges alone. The threat landscape moves too quickly, and the consequences affect the whole research ecosystem. SNSI exists to close that gap.
Working together we can be more effective and help protect the integrity of research and the institutions that depend on it. We can develop intelligence, resources, and advocacy collectively rather than in isolation. And we can support each other and come together at events such as our annual SNSI Security Summit.
This collaborative model is open to anyone with a stake in scholarly communication and data security – not just publishers. We work alongside academic libraries and data security teams within universities – and we are keen to work with university leaders, research offices, and others. If you care about cybercrime in scholarly communications, we want to hear from you.
Find out more
We exist to bring the right people together, share knowledge, and build a more resilient sector. Discover more about SNSI on the following pages:
Who We Work With
How SNSI works with publishers, librarians, IT & cybersecurity teams, and other stakeholder groups.
Our Members
The organizations that make up SNSI.
FAQs
Answers to common questions about SNSI and the threat landscape.
Contact
To find out more about how we might work together.