The University of California is bringing cybersecurity risk management into the digital age by creating the Cyber Leadership Program, the world’s first program designed to cultivate broad, diverse, and collaborative ways of thinking about the management of digital risk.
“I’m pleased that the University’s Cyber Leadership Program will provide advanced training to UC leaders across disciplines, business functions, and locations,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “Cybersecurity is a key organizational challenge, and it’s the responsibility of everyone across the University of California to respond and address it.”
The Cyber Leadership Program is housed within the UC Tech Academy workforce development initiative, which was developed by UC Vice President of IT Van Williams in 2022. The program is being conducted in partnership with Berkeley Executive Education through the UC Berkeley Hass School of Business. It brings together 40 leaders from across the UC system who work in such areas as information security, privacy, legal, risk, audit, compliance, law enforcement, and public safety. Many of these areas regularly partner with cybersecurity and are key partners in managing digital risk at UC.
Cybersecurity is not solely a technological challenge. UC Executive Vice President and COO Rachael Nava said, “UC has recognized that effective cybersecurity risk management requires an integrated approach that coordinates all aspects of our organization—enterprise risk, financial planning, culture, policy, communications, operations, public safety, and audit. UC understands that ‘digital’ is the bridge between IT and business, and so has shifted to managing cybersecurity as just one key element of broader digital risk management.”
The program’s first-of-a-kind curriculum has been designed to challenge conventional ways of thinking about cybersecurity and to guide participants in exploring a model of UC cyber defense based on a foundation of strong cross-functional collaboration.
Across three days in June and three in September, participants will attend interactive courses taught by Haas faculty and leading industry practitioners. They will dive into current and emerging cybersecurity issues, and further develop leadership skills in collaboration, crisis communications, and strategic thinking, among other topics.
“This first cohort is an incredible group of leaders from a broad range of areas,” Williams said. “I know they will have a great experience, and will achieve UC’s goal to develop—over time, cohort by cohort—an effective, broad-based, and adaptable approach to managing digital risk that both advances UC’s mission and strengthens our position as the world’s leading social-impact university.”
Contact
UC Tech Academy
Yvonne.Tevis@ucop.edu
Cover Image Caption: UC Tech Academy Cyber Leadership Program
- June 6- 8, and Sept. 12-14, 2023 (six-day program)
- Location: UC Berkeley Hass School of Business
- Learn more: https://bit.ly/3IKx4bl