Page 14 - TIME Newsletter 2018 in Review
P. 14
A WORD WITH RAYMOND USLER
DIRECTOR, IT SECURITY
of frigid weather that enticed Ray was pleased to be invited
Ray to West Palm Beach, as by Broward County’s security
he exclaimed “I’m looking chief recently to begin a mutually-
forward to Florida’s balmy beneficial collaboration.
winters and spending time Mr. Usler wants everyone in the
on the beach!” Ray is certain District to know he is intent on
he will be visited regularly not protecting the personal information of
only by three grown children students, teachers and employees
but also by northern friends. including: Social Security numbers,
His wife, Brenda, is currently credit cards, driver’s licenses,
in Michigan caring for her passports, FERPA information and
mother. more. Massive security breaches
As Ray settled into his first at Equifax, insurance companies,
With each passing month, the couple weeks at SDPBC, he municipalities and other supposedly
need to concentrate on security assessed that we have “built the careful holders of private information
threats becomes more evident as castle to protect IT assets, but the have served up many lessons.
disclosures of costly and disastrous fortress requires constant defending.
hacking appear in the press The District has done a good job, • “Password complexity is a big
worldwide. Establishing a dedicated but I want to see us do even better.” plus.” Ray described how there
IT Director of Security has percolated In addition to the hardware and are programs in the security
in the District for some time and systems Ray inherited, he is very business tracking how fast
been endorsed by the Technology impressed with his staff for their passwords can be cracked. “It
Advisory Committee. This July the “knowledge and dedication.” doesn’t take long given the power
need was filled as Raymond Usler Ray is quick to list threats the District computers have amassed over
assumed leadership of the newly must understand, remain vigilant the years.”
created Information Technology about and mitigate: • “Links in emails can be
(IT) Security Department and nine dangerous.”
personnel shifted internally to man it. • Humans make mistakes that • Social engineering is waged by
A quick look at Mr. Usler’s resume make information systems people conning us into giving up
affirms that he is a stellar pick vulnerable to attack. sensitive information. The con
for Director of Security. Ray’s IT • Foreign actors continually attempt may be played on the phone,
experience extends back to 1985 to mine information. by email or even face to face by
and includes both commercial and • Profit-motivated individuals, such impersonating someone we trust
educational institutions. Of particular as those plying ransomware, or by threatening or phishing.
note is his membership in multiple are looming larger as dangerous
professional associations for IT menaces. Ray encourages anyone with
Security that helps him stay abreast • Activists seek to steal data they a security question to contact
of industry best practices. can spin to press their agendas. him, either at Raymond.Usler@
Ray moved south from • Students may try to illicitly capture palmbeachschools.org or 434-8379
Fredericksburg, Virginia where he access codes to alter data or (PX 48379). Our newest director is
worked the last seven years as the disrupt operations. personable and genuine in his desire
Director of Security and Information to be accessible. His goal is to
Security Officer for the University of Ray says that, “as landscapes and impart “knowledge and awareness”
Mary Washington. Ray’s positions motivations are constantly changing; and “ensure each of us makes
immediately preceding that were we must keep up.” Engaging good, safe decisions when using
long stays in Michigan with Macomb employees to talk about security, computers.”
Community College and NGS as well as sharing information in
American. It may be the recollection the security community at large
are excellent ways to keep pace.
