2024 UNC CAUSE

This presentation will go into specific techniques that aid in student staff retention and attempt to avoid high rates of turnover. In addition, we'll look into a few ways to achieve and maintain a high level of team performance.

In 2013 we presented at UNC CAUSE with ECU about the implementation of our 802.1x based network access systems. Since then, we've been contacted by more than half of our sister schools and more than a dozen schools outside of the system to discuss what we've done, where we are, and what our next steps will be. My main take away from all of these conversations has been that we are all facing similar challenges, hurdles, and stumbling points. I would like to use this presentation as an opportunity to speak on what we've learned since that initial presentation and include how we've overcome those obstacles. The goal of the presentation is not to focus on specific technologies, but strategies and focal points that should easily transfer to any implementation our colleagues wish to use. Implementing new security rarely comes as a welcomed change, so one of the points will be to focus on how we used this tool to build relationships with groups around campus and implement advanced security measures simultaneously. We've implemented solutions to help our students self-register their BYOD devices, allow our partner school to grant access for their students, and provide our campus guests quick access to the internet via a sponsor portal. The BYOD portal alone reduced our annual ticket count by over 2300 and provided students quick and easy access to the internet for their devices.

This proposal provides an overview of the current state of security operations at a university, highlighting successes and areas needing improvement. It presents perspectives from a security operations professional, a systems operations specialist, and a manager. The university uses advanced systems for intrusion detection, demonstrating effective detection and prevention. The incident response plan is robust, well-tested, and minimizes damage. Security awareness training has significantly reduced phishing attacks. Email security is enhanced with comprehensive hardening measures. Access control is fortified with multi-factor authentication (MFA), regular audits, and strong physical security measures. Challenges include users with administrative privileges, which pose security risks. Efforts are ongoing to limit these privileges with MFA at UAC prompts. Resource constraints affect advanced security measures, with a single operator managing data center security. A dedicated security team is needed to improve coordination and security posture. Improved interdepartmental coordination and standardized practices are essential. This proposal emphasizes the need for continued collaboration within the system, sharing best practices, resources, and innovative ideas to enhance security posture collectively. Establishing forums for security professionals to share insights can lead to more effective strategies, ensuring a safe environment for all institutions within the system.