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University Strengthens IT Security Through FISMA Assessment

University of Texas Health Science Center is granted approval for multimillion dollar research studies with the help of Cisco Services.

University of Texas Health Science Center receives $44 million in research contracts with help of Cisco Services.

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For the agencies...having the Cisco name associated with our report added credibility and reassurance that we knew what we were doing.
- William Sanns, Director of Information Systems, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UT Health Science Center

Challenge

Top health science university must quickly learn about and comply with new federal grant regulations.

  • Comply with FISMA as required by new externally funded research projects
  • Gain better understanding of what FISMA compliance entails
  • Learn best practices for improving research-specific operational security

Solution

Cisco Services consultant provides a complete set of assessment methods and procedures established to evaluate the FISMA security controls.

  • Cisco FISMA Risk Assessment Service brings knowledge and expertise for compliance
  • Detailed assessment of security and risk controls identifies areas for improvement
  • Assessment documentation developed for funding agency

Results

The university is granted approval for research studies and now has a methodology and documentation template to work from on future FISMA projects.

  • Received approval to move forward with multimillion dollar research projects
  • Simplified compliance for future projects with reusable assessment template
  • Improved overall IT security by addressing deficiencies identified during assessment

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