Spotlight: Audrie Ramirez – Information Security Intern Extraordinaire

Posted by Alexa Rivetti, UCB student intern, UCOP.  “I never thought I would learn this much about UC,” said Audrie Ramirez, recent graduate of CSU East Bay, and information security intern at UCOP. “I actually didn’t know that much about information security when I started, so this has been a big learning experience for me.”

Now Ramirez thinks about information security on a daily basis. Perhaps you first met her during a Friday breakfast as she warned UCOP employees of the dangers of phishing and malware, or maybe you saw one of the posters she hung up for National Cyber Security Awareness month. Either way, you’ve encountered her work. Ramirez loves connecting with UCOP employees and promoting cybersecurity awareness, inserting color and style into a topic that often incites an “ugh.”

Always coming up with cool ideas to promote awareness around UC, Ramirez is currently working on the new UCOP infosec website, helping to design the layout, coordinating meetings with the communications department, and writing about the hottest topics in the security space.

You may also recognize her from the “InfoSec in Seconds” video series in which she shares simple security tips in just 30 seconds. (The first video was posted this week on the blog.) Her character in the series may leave her cellphone in the car by accident, or forget to turn off her desktop before leaving, but she always corrects her mistake in a jiff, demonstrating how easy it is to practice good information security.

While Ramirez stresses that it really is up you to be in charge of your own information security, she understands that things can be deceiving online. “Sometimes, you don’t know if a site is collecting your information for malicious purposes,” Ramirez said, and “so you should always look for ‘https’ at the beginning of your URL. The ‘s’ signals that your connection is safe and encrypted.”

Interns are great for UC, and Ramirez is a fantastic example of one who has not only learned from the university, but contributed so much as well. Ramirez has just been accepted to a Master of Science program at St. Mary’s College to study business analytics. Lucky for us, she will still be working at UCOP while earning her graduate degree.