Information security experts are making sure UNLV has up-to-date procedures in place to help keep university services and activities operating during unexpected events or disruptions.

Director of Business Continuity and Resilience John Dudley and Information Security Analyst Ereka Morton attended this year's Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) International Conference in Las Vegas. The conference provided cybersecurity, risk management, and disaster recovery professionals from both the public and private sectors with an opportunity to learn from industry leaders and share best practices for strengthening business continuity and resilience programs.

At the event, Dudley and Morton were able to listen to speakers who are senior members of their organizations and interact with experts in a non-competitive learning environment.

“A large portion of the attendees hold executive positions,” Dudley says. “This gives them a level of knowledge that fosters in-depth discussions that detail their organization's response to major events of recent years.”

They also had the opportunity to see some cutting-edge and relevant solutions that could enhance their own risk management practices. Exhibit hall vendors were available to help attendees level up their business continuity programs to match those used around the world.

“Attending the DRI conference was a great experience that showed me the value of networking with other business continuity professionals,” Morton says. “Engaging with others in the field provided new perspectives, best practices, and insights into strategies that we can adapt to strengthen our own approach.”

UNLV started their Business Continuity and Resilience Program over two years ago to ensure seamless delivery of essential services and activities despite disruptions. Dudley and Morton work together to identify potential risks, implement preventative measures, and establish a plan for effective risk response and recovery.

Dudley has worked alongside the program for over a year now, researching numerous industry standards in higher education institutions to develop a business continuity framework that would work best for the university. Morton, who joined the team this past year, assists in the  implementation, administration, and support of the program.

Recently, the information security analyst led the implementation of a new software that will be used to document, manage, and test the plans we develop for the various services on campus.

“This software provides a centralized platform to visualize and organize our data, allowing us to develop strategies that enhance overall resilience within the organization,” Morton says. “By using this tool, we're able to build our program more effectively, document key processes, and create a framework that can adapt and grow with the needs of the university.”

With new perspectives and insight gained at DRI, the information security experts are reviewing their plans and adopting new strategies to strengthen their program. As the semester continues, the team is working on implementing business continuity across a variety of services, such as MyUNLV, that are essential to the university and student success.