Andrew Ferbert
IT Manager,
University of California San Diego
Engineering a Secure Future: How System Engineers Can Strengthen Cybersecurity
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 | 8:00AM–8:45AM ET | Harborside Ballroom D, 4th Floor
Session Type:
Breakout Session
Delivery Format:
Presentation/Panel
How can system engineers help their security colleagues? Security is often viewed as the responsibility of dedicated security teams, but system engineers are uniquely positioned to identify risks early, facilitate communication with end users, and strengthen core security practices. This session will explore how system engineers can proactively contribute to cybersecurity by recognizing vulnerabilities, addressing environmental limitations that expose institutions to threats, and ensuring adherence to security policies. We will also walk through automated processes SDSC has developed to streamline base system configurations, creating standardized, self-documenting, and auditable systems. Lastly, we’ll discuss motivating engineers to improve system configurations proactively, reducing misconfigurations, and enabling faster detection of security gaps.