Data Governance and Electronic Evidence: Can Litigation Risks Be Turned into Governance Opportunities?

Conference Dates: September 10 - 11, 2008
Location: Seattle, Washington

ISCRMI 08 presents a unique opportunity to share interdisciplinary insights with leading thinkers in information security, IT governance, compliance, risk management, and the law. This year's conference in particular will address the difficulties and opportunities arising at the intersection of data governance and electronic evidence.

Information technology-dependent organizations of all types face increasing challenges in protecting information and managing their information systems in compliance with the law. At the same time, recently published court rules and new judicial rulings are catching organizations unprepared and vulnerable when they need to use their electronic information as evidence. This is a serious challenge but also presents an opportunity for organizations to leverage electronic evidence management to enhance their data governance. Doing so, however, will require careful thought and expert insights.

In order to address these issues, Co-Directors John R. Christiansen and Barbara Endicott-Popovsky are pleased to announce the program for the 2008 Information Security Compliance and Risk Management Institute. The Institute is an annual interdisciplinary event for information technology and security professionals, attorneys and auditors for advanced learning and improvement of the arts, sciences and laws of electronic information and information technology use and protection. The Institute will be held September 10 - 11 on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

This year's Institute will focus on data governance, and the integration of electronic evidence management policies and procedures into data governance programs. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from and interact with leaders in these fields, and work with them in breakout sessions to develop recommendations for leveraging data protection policies, procedures and solutions to integrate electronic evidence management practices responsive to new federal and state rules.

This program is appropriate for anyone responsible for information technology or security, risk management and legal compliance for any organization which depends on information technology and electronic information. Continuing legal and professional education credits are pending.

The Institute's Program, Faculty biographies and other information is available on its website, www.infosec-institute.org. More information is also available by email at iscrmi@christiansenlaw.net, or by phone from Julie Smith at UW Educational Outreach, 206-543-2352 or toll-free 1-866-791-1275

The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly announce the designation of the following universities as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research (CAE-R) for the years 2008 - 2013:

Auburn University
Boston University
Dartmouth College
George Mason University
Indiana University
Johns Hopkins University
Mississippi State University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Oklahoma State University
Polytechnic University
Stevens Institute of Technology
The George Washington University
The Pennsylvania State University
The University of Texas at Dallas
University of California at Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington

The need for robust IA technology, policy, and practices that will enable our Nation to effectively prevent and respond to a catastrophic event is paramount. The National Centers of Academic Excellence in IA Research Program was launched in September 2007 to address this need. The CAE-R program is an off-shoot of the current CAE program, and recognizes schools that foster an IA research focus in curriculum, as well as labs. The vision for this program is to establish a process that will present opportunities for IA research centers to drill deeper into much needed solutions to securing the global information grid and provide NSA, DHS, and other federal agencies with insight into academic IA programs that can support advanced academic research and development capabilities.

The designations of these CAE-R result in a total of 23 IA Research centers across 17 states and the District of Columbia.

Presentations will be made to designated Centers on 4 June 2008 during an awards ceremony at the annual conference of the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education. The conference will be held at the University of Texas at Dallas on June 2 – 4 2008.

The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence Programs. This partnership was formed in April 2004, and responds to Priority III of the President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace of 2003 that directs the Federal Government to foster training and education programs to support the Nation’s cybersecurity needs, and to increase the efficiency of existing Federal cybersecurity programs. The President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace refers to cyberspace as the nervous system of our Nation’s critical infrastructures, and indicates that the healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to our economy and our national security. Securing cyberspace presents a difficult strategic challenge, and information assurance education is a critical component in successfully meeting that challenge.

Universities designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education and Centers of Academic Excellence in IA Research are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through both the Federal and Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Programs.

Media representatives interested in additional information regarding the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education Programs may contact the Public and Media Affairs Office at (301) 688-6524 or by email at nsapao@nsa.gov. Additional information is also available on the NSA website at www.nsa.gov/ia, or by contacting the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education program office via email at askCAEIAE@nsa.gov.

• Digital Data and Evidence Management: advanced digital evidence discovery, collection, and storage
• Principle-based Digital Forensic Processes: systematic engineering processes supporting digital evidence management which are sound on scientific, technical and legal grounds Digital Evidence
• Analytics: advanced digital evidence analysis, correlation, and presentation
• Forensic-support technologies: forensic-enabled and proactive monitoring/response