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About The Council

Background

Established by EDUCAUSE and Internet2 in July 2000, the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Higher Education Information Security Council (formerly the Security Task Force) works to improve information security and privacy across the higher education sector by actively developing and promoting effective practices and solutions for the protection of critical IT assets and infrastructures.

The Information Security Council's priorities for 2008–2009 are outlined in its strategic plan: "Safeguarding Our IT Assets, Protecting Our Community’s Privacy".

Higher Education Information Security Council Leadership

The Higher Education Information Security Council leadership consists of a Leadership Team and an Executive Committee. The Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring progress in meeting the strategic goals of the council. To accomplish this, it creates and monitors working groups and sponsors other activities; annually reviews the strategic goals to see if changes are needed; and annually sets objectives for the working groups that will produce tangible outcomes furthering the goals of the council. The Executive Committee is a subset of the Leadership Team and is charged with: identifying and obtaining the resources needed to accomplish the goals of the council, including recruiting the human resources; developing and implementing strategies to engage higher education institutional leadership, association executive leadership, and corporate leadership in furthering the goals of the council; ensuring effective communication and collaboration with Internet2 working groups; and periodically assessing the functioning of the council and, when appropriate, overseeing the change process.

Working Groups

The Higher Education Information Security Council has established a number of working groups and committees to pursue projects and initiatives that are part of a coordinated strategy for higher education. You can help the council organize and coordinate efforts to improve cybersecurity in higher education–consider volunteering for a working group. Contact the council for more information.

Awareness and Training

The Awareness and Training Working Group identifies and take steps to implement and publicize various methods by which awareness of information technology security issues is raised among university and college computer and network users, administrators, and executives.

Effective Practices and Solutions

The Effective Practices and Solutions Working Group is focused on identifying and promoting practices, tools, and procedures that higher education institutions have found to be practical solutions to preventing or responding to security problems, with an emphasis on technology and process solutions.

Policies and Legal Issues

The Policies and Legal Issues Working Group identifies security issues that may be affected by current and proposed laws and the implications for institutional policies. The group identifies and develops material to promote understanding of security-related policies and laws among security professionals, computer administrators, and users. It also identifies and develops examples of effective institutional policies and procedures related to security issues.

Risk Assessment

The Risk Assessment Working Group is focused on identifying and promoting practices, tools, techniques, and procedures to support institutions of higher education in the application of security risk management, including risk identification, evaluation, mitigation, strategic and operational planning, and monitoring to address information security and assurance.

Security Professionals Conference Program Committee

The Security Professionals Conference, sponsored by the council, brings together information security professionals, IT staff, and others from across the higher education community. The program committee works together from the initial program planning stages through on-site conference support and develops the themes, organization, and content for the conference. Find out more about volunteering for the committee.

Internet2 Initiatives

Internet2's security initiative (SALSA) brings together technical representatives from the higher education community to advise on leading-edge technology issues, priorities, and new directions for security. Working groups within SALSA tackle specific issues, such as the SALSA-NetAuth Working Group, which explores various security technologies related to authorized network access, style and behavior of transit traffic, and forensic support for investigation of abuse. The SALSA-FWNA (Federated Wireless NetAuth) Working Group is a subgroup of SALSA-NetAuth that addresses the substantial technical details of deploying a pilot federated wireless network authentication system. A new initiative, Computer Security Incidents - Internet2 (CSI2), executed in close cooperation with the REN-ISAC, is looking at the secure sharing of real-time security information among members of the higher education community.

Security Discussion Group

Sponsored by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Higher Education Information Security Council (formerly the Security Task Force), the Security Discussion Group provides a forum to identify problems and share strategies or solutions to improve the security of college and university computers and networks. The discussion group also informs the council leadership of current issues and trends and helps identify and promote effective practices. Subscribe to the group or browse discussion archives.

REN-ISAC

Hosted by Indiana University and with the support and cooperation of Internet2, Louisiana State University, EDUCAUSE, and contributors the REN-ISAC is an integral part of higher education's strategy to improve network security through information collection, analysis, dissemination, early warning, and response. REN-ISAC services and products are specifically designed to support the unique environment and needs of organizations connected to served higher education and research networks, and supports efforts to protect the national cyberinfrastructure by participating in the formal U.S. ISAC structure.

Cybersecurity Initiative Cybersecurity Initiative About The Council Council Leadership Contribute Resources Events Announcements Contact Us		On This Page Background Council Leadership Working Groups Security Discussion Group REN-ISAC Contribute About The Council Background Established by EDUCAUSE and Internet2 in July 2000, the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Higher Education Information Security Council (formerly the Security Task Force) works to improve information security and privacy across the higher education sector by actively developing and promoting effective practices and solutions for the protection of critical IT assets and infrastructures. The Information Security Council's priorities for 2008–2009 are outlined in its strategic plan: "Safeguarding Our IT Assets, Protecting Our Community’s Privacy". Higher Education Information Security Council Leadership The Higher Education Information Security Council leadership consists of a Leadership Team and an Executive Committee. The Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring progress in meeting the strategic goals of the council. To accomplish this, it creates and monitors working groups and sponsors other activities; annually reviews the strategic goals to see if changes are needed; and annually sets objectives for the working groups that will produce tangible outcomes furthering the goals of the council. The Executive Committee is a subset of the Leadership Team and is charged with: identifying and obtaining the resources needed to accomplish the goals of the council, including recruiting the human resources; developing and implementing strategies to engage higher education institutional leadership, association executive leadership, and corporate leadership in furthering the goals of the council; ensuring effective communication and collaboration with Internet2 working groups; and periodically assessing the functioning of the council and, when appropriate, overseeing the change process. Working Groups The Higher Education Information Security Council has established a number of working groups and committees to pursue projects and initiatives that are part of a coordinated strategy for higher education. You can help the council organize and coordinate efforts to improve cybersecurity in higher education–consider volunteering for a working group. Contact the council for more information. Awareness and Training The Awareness and Training Working Group identifies and take steps to implement and publicize various methods by which awareness of information technology security issues is raised among university and college computer and network users, administrators, and executives. Effective Practices and Solutions The Effective Practices and Solutions Working Group is focused on identifying and promoting practices, tools, and procedures that higher education institutions have found to be practical solutions to preventing or responding to security problems, with an emphasis on technology and process solutions. Policies and Legal Issues The Policies and Legal Issues Working Group identifies security issues that may be affected by current and proposed laws and the implications for institutional policies. The group identifies and develops material to promote understanding of security-related policies and laws among security professionals, computer administrators, and users. It also identifies and develops examples of effective institutional policies and procedures related to security issues. Risk Assessment The Risk Assessment Working Group is focused on identifying and promoting practices, tools, techniques, and procedures to support institutions of higher education in the application of security risk management, including risk identification, evaluation, mitigation, strategic and operational planning, and monitoring to address information security and assurance. Security Professionals Conference Program Committee The Security Professionals Conference, sponsored by the council, brings together information security professionals, IT staff, and others from across the higher education community. The program committee works together from the initial program planning stages through on-site conference support and develops the themes, organization, and content for the conference. Find out more about volunteering for the committee. Internet2 Initiatives Internet2's security initiative (SALSA) brings together technical representatives from the higher education community to advise on leading-edge technology issues, priorities, and new directions for security. Working groups within SALSA tackle specific issues, such as the SALSA-NetAuth Working Group, which explores various security technologies related to authorized network access, style and behavior of transit traffic, and forensic support for investigation of abuse. The SALSA-FWNA (Federated Wireless NetAuth) Working Group is a subgroup of SALSA-NetAuth that addresses the substantial technical details of deploying a pilot federated wireless network authentication system. A new initiative, Computer Security Incidents - Internet2 (CSI2), executed in close cooperation with the REN-ISAC, is looking at the secure sharing of real-time security information among members of the higher education community. Security Discussion Group Sponsored by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Higher Education Information Security Council (formerly the Security Task Force), the Security Discussion Group provides a forum to identify problems and share strategies or solutions to improve the security of college and university computers and networks. The discussion group also informs the council leadership of current issues and trends and helps identify and promote effective practices. Subscribe to the group or browse discussion archives. REN-ISAC Hosted by Indiana University and with the support and cooperation of Internet2, Louisiana State University, EDUCAUSE, and contributors the REN-ISAC is an integral part of higher education's strategy to improve network security through information collection, analysis, dissemination, early warning, and response. REN-ISAC services and products are specifically designed to support the unique environment and needs of organizations connected to served higher education and research networks, and supports efforts to protect the national cyberinfrastructure by participating in the formal U.S. ISAC structure.
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