Leading Through Crisis: A CIO's Journey to Secure University IT
Discover how a CIO managed a major cybersecurity breach at UGA, implemented vital IT policy changes, and navigated shared governance amidst community pushback.
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Chapter 1
Imported Transcript
Timothy Chester
It was the fall of 2024 when I received the call every CIO fears. Our security team had uncovered compromised workstations and services. A threat actor had moved through parts of our enterprise and taken control of several computer accounts, including administrative ones. The risks were real.
Timothy Chester
We activated our Mandiant retainer. Within hours they were engaged, and they confirmed the breach was contained and mapped how the attacker moved around our defenses. They also gave us a set of remediations, several of which required policy changes.
Timothy Chester
Under our bylaws, those decisions reside in the CIO’s office. We shared the proposed changes with key groups and heard almost nothing. Only after the policies were enacted did the pushback arrive, fast and intense. My team felt blindsided by the reaction. Many in the community felt blindsided by the impact. The silence during consultation had not been agreement.
Timothy Chester
In today’s Dispatch, we reflect on that experience and offer a practical approach to shared governance that helps a CIO lead necessary change with more clarity and far less surprise.