Why it’s important to cultivate the idea that security is everyone’s business
Cultivating an environment where cyber security is on the radar of every student and staff member, not just IT teams, is the theme of the 2021 Jisc security conference.
Registration for the event, which is free for Jisc members, opens today (28 April). Under the theme ‘building solid security practice and culture together’, the conference runs virtually, 9-11 November.
Jisc’s head of cyber defence, Dr John Chapman, says:
“Every user has a part to play and, at our security conference this year, we tackle this with a programme of talks and training designed to upskill all staff members. From network and security specialists, to teaching and learning practitioners, there’s information relevant to all.”
Underlining the close relationship between Jisc and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the latter’s CEO, Lindy Cameron, is a keynote speaker this year.
Other keynotes include Jisc trustee and vice-chancellor and chief executive at Staffordshire University, Liz Barnes, who will talk about the valuable insight she gained from an audit of Jisc against the security standard BS 31111.
Other speakers include:
- Enterprise security architect at University of Plymouth, Richard Bartlett, (the benefits of sharing incident insights and threat intelligence)
- Deputy chief information security officer at the University of Edinburgh, Gary Scobie (the evolving threat landscape)
- IT security specialist at Canterbury Christ Church University, Claire Carpenter (to scan, or not to scan)
- Professor of cyber security at University of Oxford, Sadie Creese (subject to be confirmed)
- Education engagement officer at the NCSC, Hannah H (what can the NCSC do for you?).
The conference will be staged after a sustained period of change and stress for IT and security teams, which had to rapidly respond and adapt to the challenges of COVID-19.
Dr Chapman continues:
“The pandemic accelerated digital transformation across the sector and cyber criminals jumped at the opportunity to strike, as thousands took to working and studying from home on unsecure networks.
“To keep staff and students safe online, no matter where they are, instilling a culture of solid security practice is essential.
“Security is not something to ‘fix’ - there are no silver bullets. Security teams need the right knowledge and skills to stay ahead of the curve and ensure they can mitigate the ever-evolving risks.
“To help, Jisc encourages the sharing of intelligence and insight for the benefit of the whole sector. We also help colleges and universities to harden their security posture, and our annual conference is part of that process.”
Further information
- Jisc’s cyber impact report (2020) shows the effect of cyber attacks on staff and resources, and advice on how to improve defences and shorten recovery times.
- Conference delegates can add attendance time towards their continuing professional development (CPD) goals.