IET's Research Security Program Safeguards UC Davis Innovation
Quick Summary
- The UC Davis Information Security Office's Research Security Program partners with researchers to protect the university's vital data and intellectual property.
- This crucial collaboration ensures compliance with complex sponsor-required security controls and protects against cyber threats.
- The program allows faculty and staff to focus on discovery and innovation without compromising sensitive information.
- UC Davis researchers can continue to protect their valuable work by proactively engaging with the Research Security team and making security compliance an integral, ongoing part of their process.
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UC Davis' mission of teaching, research, and innovation relies fundamentally on protecting its most valuable assets: the data and intellectual property generated by its researchers. In an era of escalating cyber threats and complex regulatory requirements, this vital protection is the product of a close partnership between the Information Security Office’s (ISO) Research Security Program and the research community.
A Cybersecure Core Partnership
The ISO’s Research Security team is an important partner to the UC Davis research community. They work in collaboration with researchers to navigate and comply with security controls required by sponsoring organizations, including federal and state agencies. The team also reviews research sponsor agreements to ensure researchers can comply with the security obligations outlined in those contracts.
Why This Work is Important
The goal of the Research Security Program is to directly support the university’s overarching mission and to protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of research information assets. By establishing a robust defense, the program shields the campus community from cyber threats and helps ensure compliance with requirements from federal, state agencies, and other institutions.
In short, the program is essential for protecting the research itself, allowing faculty and staff to focus on discovery and innovation without compromising sensitive data.
Security & Compliance
Protecting research requires strict adherence to multiple layers of security. Researchers must comply with the cybersecurity requirements of both the University of California system and UC Davis in addition to the specific security controls established through signed agreements with sponsors. These sponsor requirements can vary widely, sometimes demanding compliance with hundreds of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security controls.
The stakes for noncompliance are high and carry significant risks to the university and its researchers. Potential risks include legal penalties, a severely damaged institutional reputation, and substantial financial losses.
Engaging in the Future of Research
The Research Security Program is a major piece of the ISO’s vision for a more secure campus community and directly supports the UC Davis mission. Through this work, the ISO continues to build a strong security infrastructure that ensures researchers are compliant, protected from cyber threats, and free to focus on discovery.
UC Davis researchers can continue to protect their valuable work by proactively engaging with the Research Security team and making security compliance an integral, ongoing part of their process. To set up a consultation or assessment, email researchsecurity@ucdavis.edu. The team can explain cybersecurity controls, responsibilities required by research sponsor agreements, and more.
Together, the research community and Information Security Office form a crucial partnership and the foundation for a secure and innovative future at UC Davis.