News for and about the Internet2 community

[Greg Wood <>]

EXPERTS DEVELOP FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY IN 
HIGHER EDUCATION

Leading National Organizations Support Efforts to Strengthen Critical 
Infrastructure

Washington, D.C., April 18, 2002--Leading national higher education 
organizations have endorsed a framework for action designed to improve 
information technology security in higher education. EDUCAUSE and 
Internet2, higher education-led information technology management 
organizations, formed a group of experts to establish an action 
statement that will engage their over 1600 member organizations to 
develop a coordinated strategy.

The framework has received support from the American Association of 
Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and 
Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of 
American Universities, the Association of Research Libraries, the 
National Association of College and University Business Officers, the 
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the 
National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.

"I think this effort -- 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 together constructively to address this challenge."

"This action statement is a solid first step in responding to the 
special challenges faced by higher education in the area of information 
technology security," said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the 
University of North Carolina and chair of the Higher Education 
Information Technology Alliance. "Increased attention and resources are 
required to ensure that information technologies continue to support the 
open exchange of ideas that is at the heart of academia."

"The nation's public research universities are committed to national
initiatives that advance the security of our universities, including the
protection of our information technology infrastructure," said Graham B.
Spanier, president of the Pennsylvania State University and chair of the
National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges board
of directors. "NASULGC is most supportive of this collaborative
initiative being led by Educause and Internet2."

The framework is intended to provide an initial response for ensuring 
the continued dependability of information resources and communications 
systems the academic community relies upon. The complete text of 
"Information Technology Critical Infrastructure in Higher Technology: A 
Framework for Action" is available at: 
http://www.internet2.edu/security/ActionFramework.pdf

"Despite the wide variety of information systems and service solutions 
that the higher education IT community deploys, 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."

"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. "Together, this action statement and the broad support 
it has received provide an excellent foundation for this work."

EDUCAUSE is an international, nonprofit association whose mission is to 
advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information 
technology. Visit the EDUCAUSE Web site at http://www.educause.edu

Led by over 190 U.S. universities, working with industry and government, 
Internet2(R), is developing and deploying advanced network applications 
and technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the 
creation of tomorrow?s Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnership of 
academia, industry and government that helped foster today's Internet in 
its infancy. For more information about Internet2, see:
http://www.internet2.edu

Contacts:

Peter DeBlois
EDUCAUSE

(303) 544-5665

Greg Wood
Internet2

202-331-5360







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