New IT Security Lead

Melisa Gafić will fill the newly created position of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences on 1 August. In this position, she will have the strategic overall responsibility for information security. With this step, the St. Pölten UAS will raise its information security management to the next level and take over a pioneering role in the higher education sector.

Melisa Gafić is a graduate of the St. Pölten UAS. Until recently, she has worked as Information Security Manager for the operational planning and implementation of security measures at the St. Pölten UAS. In her new role as CISO, she will have the strategic overall responsibility for information security.

By creating the new position of Chief Information Security Officer, the St. Pölten UAS proactively reacts to an environment of increasing threats: cyber attacks on universities and higher education institutions have been continually rising as these institutions hold valuable data and sensitive research information which are of great interest to cyber criminals. At some higher education institutions, such attacks have already caused considerable damage. To protect itself against those threats, the St. Pölten UAS has created a central unit to develop strategies for threat detection and defence.

“Information security at its core consists of the productive collaboration of everybody involved. Digitalisation and the resulting threats in the use of communication technologies and data are not only relevant for the institution but for every single one of us”, says Gafić. “I am looking forward to taking further important steps towards developing and ensuring information security together with my team.”

Broad Range of Tasks

Her tasks include the development and implementation of an information security strategy, consulting the management on security issues, risk management, creating and maintaining security guidelines, and training employees in security issues.

In her position as CISO, Melisa Gafić will closely collaborate with all colleagues of the UAS services, its departments, and the Executive Directors.

Pioneering Role in the UAS Sector

Through this initiative, the St. Pölten UAS will adopt a pioneering role in the UAS sector and set an example for the protection of information. “By introducing the new position of Chief Information Security Officer, we will raise our information security to the next level. We assume responsibility and it is not only in providing a cybersecurity education with more than 350 students that we adopt a pioneering role in this field. We are happy to have Melisa Gafić as an experienced IT security expert and graduate of our university of applied sciences start this essential position”, says UAS Executive Director Johann Haag.