UIC engages in Integration of Cybersecurity Personnel into the EOC for Cyber Incidents Course
In a time of increasing cyber threats, it is important for organizations to be prepared. One measure of an organization's strength is its ability to respond and recover well from an emergency. UIC is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors who live, work, study, research, and/or visit the university.
To support IT-related emergency preparedness goals, the Office of Preparedness and Response (OPR) and Technology Solutions (TS), in collaboration with Cook County Emergency Management and Regional Security, held an Integration of Cybersecurity Personnel into the EOC for Cyber Incidents Course May 7th.
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We listened, learned, and lived through a mock cybersecurity incident integrated within the Emergency Operations Center. This training revealed that we should continue to prepare for a cybersecurity incident management and response.
| Chief Information Security Officer & Chief Privacy Officer
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An immersive training course funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and facilitated by Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), this initiative was sparked by the latest ransomware attacks on healthcare institutions, including the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, coupled with a heightened focus on cybersecurity and ransomware threats in the higher education sector.
Recognizing the essential role our technology security team plays in UIC’s Campus Emergency Operations Center (CEOC), participants were able to implement strategies to facilitate seamless collaboration and ensure an effective response. Participation in this training further bolsters UIC’s ongoing efforts to enhance the university’s cybersecurity preparedness.
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“The dedication of everyone showing up three days in a row to engage in roles and responsibilities that they didn’t work in or have knowledge of when it came to emergency management and response related to a cybersecurity incident, was truly amazing,” said Shefali Mookencherry, Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Privacy Officer.
“We worked as one big family and learned a lot about each other and how complex a situation can get and how exhausting it can be,” she said.
This scenario-based course guided emergency response organizations and critical infrastructure IT personnel through multiple simulated events to learn how to coordinate efforts during a cyber incident.
These real-time exercises were designed to assist teams with managing cyber response efforts between traditional emergency responders and IT professionals. The use of expert instructors from IT and emergency response fields offered participants real-world knowledge to successfully integrate cybersecurity personnel into the Emergency Operations Center.
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As next steps, Tech Solutions (alongside OPR support) is planning to assemble a dedicated team to develop a comprehensive EOP Cyber Incident Response Annex, which will play a crucial role in ensuring the continuity and security of our operations.
“The training was a pivotal step in fortifying our cyber response and integrating participants within UIC’s EOP efforts. I am hopeful that this experience not only enhanced individual capabilities but also strengthened our collective response to cyber incidents,” said David Ibrahim, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief Clery Compliance Officer at the Office of Preparedness and Response.