Information Technology Services (ITS)

Deyves Fonseca, Associate Director, Information Security Operations and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer

Deyves stepped up this year to be ITS’ Acting CISO. He was nominated for embodying true excellence in service and for his remarkable leadership during a significant security breach. Deyves not only safeguarded our systems, but also fostered strong relationships across U of T. His comprehensive information security programs have garnered incredible participation, and his unwavering commitment to security and IT@UofT collaboration sets an inspiring example for all.

Mladen Stojanovic, Director, Business Operations & Administration

Mladen was nominated for standing out as the epitome of service excellence at U of T. His exceptional leadership and compassionate approach have been instrumental in navigating ITS and UPDC through challenging times. Mladen’s innovative strategies and ethical guidance have enhanced ITS’ cyber security resilience and fostered a culture of accountability and respect.

In 2022, the Telecom team was assigned to migrate its former VoIP phone service to Microsoft Teams Phone. The prerequisite for the project’s success was a functional billing program. José was recognized for his exceptional efforts in developing a billing application that has significantly streamlined the Telecom team’s operations and enhanced service delivery.

With remarkable foresight and technical expertise, José designed a versatile and user-friendly system that automates the entire billing process for Telecom’s Teams Phone service. José’s solution has revolutionized Telecom’s workflow, allowing the team to adapt quickly to change requests from the U of T community.

Jesse has delivered value to the University by performing consistently high-quality information security risk assessments for over seven years. With a profound grasp of information security risk management and a keen awareness of the University’s environment, he adeptly identifies security risks that could impact the University. His insights enable him to provide valuable guidance to community members on effective risk management strategies. In the course of his work, Jesse engages with community members in a friendly and helpful manner, often sprinkling interactions with humor.

Michael was nominated for many accomplishments that have made him stand out as a valuable member of the Research Information Security Program. Driven by his passion for better security at the University, he led an effort to provide a password manager to students, staff and faculty to encourage better security practices and lifelong habits that can protect community members from malicious attempts to compromise their accounts.

He also created a self-service resource for researchers and other stakeholders to get actionable steps and other supports related to common cyber security questions and requirements. Michael’s exemplary commitment to excellence and attention to detail resulted in an exceptional resource that will continue to grow.

Team members:

• Ashok Arokiaswamy, Cloud Solutions Developer, EIS
• Lloyd Kwong, Network & System Administrator, EIS
• Andrew Tomkins, Cloud Solutions Developer, EIS
• Kevin Wong, Network & System Administrator, EIS

EIS’ Azure Cloud team, in collaboration with EIS’ Enterprise Networking team, has transformed the way the University leverages cloud technologies. Through a strategic partnership with Microsoft, the Azure Cloud team has been instrumental in enabling the University’s successful adoption of cloud technologies over the past year.

They spearheaded several critical initiatives that improved security, resilience and research capabilities by engineering a robust cloud architecture and deploying enterprise-grade Azure landing zones, along with a dedicated Azure virtual wide area network (WAN) environment tailored specifically for the University’s needs. These achievements contributed to enhancing service delivery, creating efficiencies and elevating the University’s technological landscape.

Team members:

• Vince Borghese, Manager, Client Success & Service Delivery, EIS
• Esther MacAdam, Service Management Program Lead, EIS

In 2023, EIS’ Customer Success and Service Delivery team embarked on a transformative initiative aimed at elevating service delivery and enhancing the client experience. The team played a key role in optimizing and enhancing institutional Enterprise Service Centre functions and features. This initiative led to a notable improvement in service delivery, characterized by streamlined processes leveraging ServiceNow and a 30 per cent reduction in response times.

Their collaborative efforts have resulted in the establishment of a more robust and efficient service delivery framework, contributing to increased staff productivity, and ultimately enriching the service experience for all stakeholders within the University community.

Team members:

• Rishi Arora, Information Risk Program Coordinator
• Kiren Handa, Executive Director, Institutional Research and Data Governance
• Kanupriya Kejriwal, Manager, Information Security Risk Management
• Kalyani Khati, Associate Director, Information Security Strategic Initiatives
• Sue McGlashan, Research Information Security Lead
• Jeffrey Waldman, Manager, Institutional Data Governance

DAI-IRSA, a collaborative effort between Information Security and Institutional Data Governance, plays a pivotal role in managing risks to the University’s data and digital assets. It enables units to self-identify their security risks and develop action plans to mitigate these risks effectively.

The DAI-IRSA team has increased participation from units through community engagement and outreach. Today, 97 units participate in DAI-IRSA, with 80 units having completed their 2023-24 risk assessments. This program allows the University to collectively target areas for improvement, ensuring that our attention remains focused on what matters most to safeguard our data and maintain a robust information security posture.

Team members:

• Ben Akhirevbulu, Project Manager, Information Security Strategic Execution
• Brian Da Silva, AV and Distance Learning Team Lead, Discovery Commons
• Luis Alvarenga Coto, Services Engagement Coordinator
• Raphaelle Gauriau, Manager, Information Security Strategic Execution
• Ryan Lahti, Technology Adoption Consultant, Education Commons
• Alex Lu, Incident Response Security Specialist
• Maddie Osei, Information Security and Business Analyst
• Ahmad Sameem, O365 Admin & Security Manager, EASI
• John Kirk Stewart, Information Security Program Manager

The SAT Foundations project is a collaborative effort aimed at enhancing the information security knowledge of U of T staff, librarians and faculty. The project has made significant strides, with the enrollment of 9,000 staff and librarians from units across the tri-campus into the Security Awareness & Training platform. The team also established monthly phishing simulations as a baseline training tool and launched a customized U of T Report Phishing button, empowering the community to actively participate in maintaining information security.

Looking ahead, the team plans to expand training modules, increase user engagement, onboard faculty and continue fostering a culture of security awareness at U of T.