ResearchSOC workshops
Cybersecurity Engagement in a Research Environment workshop*
*Registration is now closed. We thank the community for the overwhelming response. If you are interested in joining the waitlist for this event, please complete the waitlist form.
A free workshop for researcher-facing cybersecurity professionals sponsored by the ResearchSOC and National Science Foundation.
December 7-9, 2021. Virtually via Zoom and Slack. Registration is limited to 50 participants, so register early below.
This workshop will be held on US Pacific Time.
About the workshop:
The Cybersecurity Engagement in a Research Environment workshop is a training and development opportunity for researcher-facing cybersecurity professionals who are responsible for applying standard security operations to the heterogeneous research ecosystem to develop research-specific cybersecurity approaches at their home institutions.
Purpose:
Research activities and research computing in higher education require an approach that differs from standard operational work by cybersecurity professionals in order to successfully engage with the research community and to design, create, and implement effective, personalized cybersecurity plans for sponsored programs. Research computing and data handling and storage must be resilient to cyber-attacks in a manner that will not hinder research activities.
The intent of the workshop is to provide cybersecurity professionals with:
- Lecture and activity-based training as a foundation to optimize interactions with researchers and their research work
- Approaches to address the technical and cultural challenges of securing research in higher education
- A clear understanding of how research activities differ from traditional enterprise- focused cybersecurity services and effective methods for successful engagements.
Background
Traditional cybersecurity professionals have primarily focused on enterprise activities and protection of those (campus networks, infrastructure, administrative and desktop computing, etc.). Historically, institutions have left researchers to their own devices for the most part, but now must focus on research successes as revenue-generating and vital to reputation and faculty recruitment. Complexities in research computing and data management (large quantities of data, complex workflows, cutting edge technologies) necessitate significant safeguards and best practices.
As a part of the ResearchSOC (a collaborative effort of Indiana University, Duke University, the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, and the University of California San Diego), this workshop, supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant 1840034, will address the needs of highly collaborative and autonomous research communities with extremely diverse infrastructure.
Workshop Format:
Virtual with skills-building activities to reinforce training objectives. To minimize Zoom fatigue, we will limit our workshop to partial days and provide extended breaks between sessions.
Day One: The Research Program and the Researcher
About the sponsoring award: ResearchSOC
Changing the security paradigm for research
Activity: Research vs. enterprise (breakouts)
Day Two: Talking to Researchers and Supporting Research Projects
Introduction to research facilitation
Communicating with researchers
Intake interview
Day Three: Return to the Security World: Real Life Experiences from Panelists
Panel: Outreach programs on our campuses
You asked for it: Participant suggested topics
Content:
Discovering the complexity of data--controlled, classified, protected, and sensitive
* Grasping the basics of sponsored programs, grants and awards
* Understanding the researcher and their work
* Toolkits available to security professionals targeting research projects
* Identity management tools for research projects
* Exploring security expectations – NSF/NIH expectations, security practices at participant home institutions
* Interpersonal skills activities
* Collaboration and community-building opportunities
* Needs assessment and conducting an intake interview
Logistics:
This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant 184004. There is no charge to attend the workshop.
Zoom and Slack will be used as presentation/communication channels.
Attendance is capped at 50. Preference will be given to senior cybersecurity professionals who are building out their support for research projects. Senior research facilitators with an interest in cybersecurity may also apply.
Attendees are expected to attend and participate in all sessions. Unlike many other Zoom-based virtual workshops, content in this workshop is progressive and interrelated.
How to Apply:
To apply to attend the workshop, please complete this form. Applications are reviewed regularly and applicants can expect notification within 1-2 weeks. Zoom and Slack connection specifics will be provided in due course.
For more information, please contact rsoc@iu.edu.