At its meeting next month, the Information Security Liaison (ISL) program’s advisory board will mark eight months since its initial kick-off meeting.
After that kick-off meeting in March, advisory board members met in June to conduct the first official meeting. The ISL advisory board is scheduled to meet next in November.
The Information Security Office created ISL’s advisory board to increase levels of engagement and knowledge shared with the ISL program, said Larry Fritsche, chair of the Information of Security Liaison advisory board and program manager. The advisory board is a key platform for ISL professionals to share their diverse opinions and perspectives with each other across campus. In addition, the advisory board will catch any blind spots that may appear as events and functions are designed within the program.
Close partnership
The Information Security Office and all of the schools and departments at UNC-Chapel Hill maintain a close partnership in the ISL program. The program hosts several events, shares knowledge, and provides opportunities to collaborate and discuss topics related to information security. Fritsche hopes to grow the membership, which stands at 132 ISLs.
“Our partners in the ISL program are absolutely vital in our support of the overall mission of the University,” Fritsche said. “Our ISLs directly impact and improve the overall information security program that serves the entire University.”
Initial meetings and expectations
The advisory board’s March kick-off meeting had great energy and generated good feedback, Fritsche said.
At that first official meeting in June, members discussed the tools available to ISLs to enhance security and mitigate risks. They also decided to rotate meeting locations and to use Zoom video conferencing to encourage participation by remote members. The advisory board plans to continue providing focused training sessions, workshops, vendor training and demonstrations, and other development opportunities.
The advisory board will operate for one year and evaluate its progression at the conclusion of its first year.
“If we decide that the advisory board has been beneficial to the ISL program during the past year, and without requiring a high level of effort from our board members, we will proceed into our second year and rotate new members in from the ISL program,” Fritsche said.
Roster of inaugural board
Members for the inaugural advisory board were selected based upon their sustained interest and commitment to information security of their unit and the University. The members are:
- Bryan Andregg, School of Public Health
- Kelly Brown, School of Medicine
- Eric Helms, School of Law
- Calvin Groves, School of Education
- Andy Lang, OASIS
- Benny Ramos, Office of Human Resources
- Anne Vail, ITS Managed Desktop Services