REN-ISAC names Kim Milford first executive director
Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center (REN-ISAC). Milford will be the organization’s first full-time executive director.
The REN-ISAC is an integral part of higher education's strategy to improve cybersecurity, and is supported through the IU Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and member institutions. It also receives assistance from Louisiana State University, Internet2, EDUCAUSE, and the IU Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research.
Through information collection, analysis and dissemination, early warning, and response, the REN-ISAC is specifically designed to support the needs of organizations connected to serve higher education and research networks. Likewise, by participating in the formal US Information Sharing and Analysis Center structure, it supports efforts to protect the national cyberinfrastructure.
"The REN-ISAC has become a critical component of the effort to secure university and college campuses, and the creation of the position of executive director recognizes the need for excellent administrative leadership to complement the stellar technical capability already in place," said Mark Bruhn, IU associate vice president for public safety and institutional assurance. "Kim Milford has the required background in cybersecurity and in managing complex organizations to make that happen."
As IU’s chief privacy officer, Milford led university initiatives on privacy, provided oversight for the University Information Policy Office and served as chair for the Committee of Data Stewards. She worked closely with the University Information Security Office, chief risk officer, chief compliance officer, and University Information Technology Services to determine and implement appropriate safeguards for the IU community.
Milford plans to put this expertise to good use in her new role. "I look forward to assuring REN-ISAC’s continuing role in assisting higher education and research institutions in analyzing threats and taking action to reduce risks," she says. "I’m excited to work with our members to ensure we are providing the level of service they need."
Milford joined Indiana University in June 2007 as special assistant to the vice president for information technology. She was promoted to the position of director for IT communication and media technology in November 2010, before becoming chief privacy officer for Public Safety and Institutional Assurance the following year.
Prior to joining Indiana University, Milford served as the information security officer at the University of Rochester, where she successfully incorporated security planning and operations into strategic IT initiatives. As information security manager at University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Information Technology from 1998 to 2004, she created the university's information security department and co-led the development of an annual security conference. She has a BS in accounting from Saint Louis University, and a JD from Chicago’s John Marshall Law School.