UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
In this environment, cybersecurity is perceived as a foundation of trust.
“ Cybersecurity is the bedrock of our digital foundation,” Bharath says.“ In an era of increasing threats, protecting our intellectual property, research data and the privacy of our students and faculty is paramount.
“ We view cybersecurity not just as a defensive measure, but as a facilitator of innovation. When our researchers know their data is secure, they are more willing to collaborate and push the boundaries of knowledge.”
When Bharath began his role as VP and Chief Digital Officer in 2022, cybersecurity was not emphasised enough as a foundational element.
“ Part of my mandate when I came in was to assess our cybersecurity posture and report them to the board and president,” he reflects.
“ We had a very decentralised IT organisation with every college having its own IT team without the technology oversight we have now. That’ s typical of most large higher education institutions.
“ Yes, there’ s academic flexibility between departments, but on the technology side, not so much.
UC has since centralised all IT, with IT leads for each department reporting to Bharath so that the same level of security guidance, updates, automation and education is rolled out across the university.
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