I am delighted to announce that Professor Ron Deibert has agreed to join the Working Group on the Implementation of Information Risk Management Practice as its academic Co-Chair, alongside Martin Loeffler, the University’s Director of Information Security.

Ron is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs. The Citizen Lab is a world-famous interdisciplinary R&D hothouse working at the intersection of the Internet, global security, and human rights. A consultant and advisor to governments, international organizations, and civil society/NGOs, Ron has published numerous articles, chapters, and books on issues related to media, world politics, and technology, including cyber-espionage. He is the author of Black Code: the battle for the future of cyberspace (McClelland & Stewart, 2013).

The Working Group was initiated to get a head start on the work of the Information Security Council that would be established under the proposed Policy on Information Security and the Protection of Digital Assets. The group includes faculty and librarians, divisional IT leaders and business administrators, and representatives from university-wide shared service portfolios. It is to develop recommendations for the Standards, Procedures, and Guidelines called for by the proposed Policy, and a common framework for the Information Risk Management Plans to be developed by operational units (i.e., campuses, divisions, department or shared service portfolios.) It will also recommend the composition and operating procedures for the Information Security Council, to which its recommendations and responsibilities will be turned over when the ISC is created by the Policy. For more information about the Working Group and its full membership, please see: http://main.its.utoronto.ca/about/committees/irmpworkinggroup/#3281

I look forward to Ron’s perspective and leadership in ensuring that all aspects of Policy implementation are appropriately aligned to academic requirements.