AEROSPACE

Higher education will play a major role in advancing the cybersecurity of America. In remarks at Stanford University today, where The White House released The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, EDUCAUSE Vice President Mark Luker said, "The advanced computer networks of higher education represent the emerging systems of the future...and successful security solutions in this sector can serve as models for the nation at large." Announced by Richard Clarke, Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security, The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace contains over 70 specific recommendations for action by the public and private sectors to improve cybersecurity. It highlights government and private sector programs already underway to implement the strategy, and it raises topics and issues for continued analysis and debate that may be included in future releases of the Strategy. The Higher Education Contribution to the National Strategy was developed by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force. Submitted to the federal government's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board in July, the contribution outlines the process that the Task Force is pursuing to develop a consensus strategy and is supported by organizations that compose the Higher Education Information Technology (HEIT) Alliance. The complete Higher Education Contribution can be found at www.educause.edu/asp/doclib/abstract.asp?ID=NET0027. "Just as the higher education community has worked together in the development and use of information technology in research and education, it must now work together to ensure that the same technology continues to be secure and reliable," said Douglas Van Houweling, president and CEO of Internet2. Central to the Higher Education Contribution is a five-part Framework for Action that outlines critical activities -- at the campus level as well as at the national level -- needed to strengthen the security of information systems and resources. The text of the Framework, which has been formally ratified by the leadership of higher education through the HEIT Alliance, can be found at www.educause.edu/asp/doclib/abstract.asp?ID=CSD1874. "This framework is extremely important because it demonstrates that the issue of network security is a major concern of colleges and universities around the country," said David Ward, president of the American Council on Education. "Policy makers and corporate leaders should know that the higher education community is working constructively to address this challenge." An important first step in acting on the Framework is a series of cybersecurity workshops being coordinated this fall by EDUCAUSE and funded by the National Science Foundation. The workshops bring together technology experts and campus leaders to identify effective security practices and policies, develop partnership strategies with the research community, and plan for improving executive-level education about the importance of cybersecurity in managing institutional risks. According to Amelia Tynan, vice provost and CIO at the University of Rochester, who attended one of the recent workshops, "It is clear that we are engaged and eager to work collaboratively on the risks facing us. The higher education community must actively participate in the security agenda by sharing perceptions, ideas, and actionable strategies." EDUCAUSE and Internet2 will disseminate the results of these workshops through extensive national and regional meetings, publications for IT professionals and higher education executives, Web libraries, and partnering with such organizations as the American Council on Education, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys. "Despite the wide variety of information systems and service solutions in higher education, we have a common concern and need to have one voice in a commitment to protecting our campuses and our society from cyberattack," said Brian Hawkins, president of EDUCAUSE. "If ever we needed to come together and fulfill our national motto of 'E Pluribus Unum,' it is now, and it is by leveraging our collective expertise and credibility." The complete National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace is expected to be available at www.securecyberspace.gov/. The EDUCAUSE Security Web site at www.educause.edu/security/ will have the most current information and links.