Home About Information and Architecture Assurance

About Information and Infrastructure Assurance

We oversee the big picture view of information technology (IT) security at the University of Michigan. We work to proactively mitigate IT security risks in partnership with U-M's three campuses and the Health System. Our mission is to enable teaching, learning, research, and healthcare in a large open environment through balancing risk in a perilous world.

Information and Infrastructure Assurance was created in 2004 as Information Technology Security Services (ITSS). In 2009, ITSS merged with MAIS and ITCS to create a comprehensive campus IT department called Information and Technology Services (ITS). This office retains its security focus and took on the responsibility for policy, privacy and the User Advocate. We collaborate with individual University of Michigan units to develop a university-wide security strategy and to implement best practice security efforts.

Other primary IIA activities include:

• Facilitating campus-wide incident response activities
• Providing services such as security assessments and consultation, network scans, education and training
• Managing IT security issues at the university level

Most Information and Infrastructure Assurance staff are located in the Boyer Building on South Campus. Directions to Boyer.

Executive Officers

Overall governance for IIA is shared by:

• Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, executive vice president for medical affairs
• Phil Hanlon, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs
• Stephen Forrest, vice president for research
• Tim Slottow, executive vice president and chief financial officer

Leadership and Staff

• Laura Patterson, CIO and associate vice president, provides overall direction and support for IIA.
• Paul Howell, the university's chief IT security officer, heads the IIA Office. In addition to overseeing IT security activities and managing IIA staff, he serves on the Information & Infrastructure Assurance Council (IIAC).
• IIA works with IIAC to maintain a secure IT environment for U-M teaching, learning, research, and administrative activities.