IT Governance

What it is

We help institutions build a Frictionless Security Program — security in place but so easy to navigate that nobody notices it — by replacing missing or unread policy with usable, pragmatic pieces.

Higher Education IT Governance: Why It's Different

University IT governance has to operate within shared governance structures that don't exist in corporate environments — faculty senate input, Board of Trustees committee oversight, and the academic-affairs / business-affairs divide that affects almost every IT decision. Generic NIST CSF guidance doesn't account for any of that. Our higher-education governance work calibrates the framework to your institution's existing committee structure, not the other way around.

How prospects describe the pain

• “We don't have a policy.”
• “We have a policy but nobody follows it.”
• “There's no standard for X.”
• “Every team does data classification differently.”

The pragmatic pieces we deliver

• Information security policy — written or refreshed, plain-English, executive-approvable.
• Standards library scoped to your environment: data classification, acceptable use, access control, vulnerability management, incident response, vendor risk, AI use.
• Risk register populated with your real risks, not the framework's example risks.
• Committee charters and decision-making RACI so risk decisions have a defined owner.
• 90-day implementation roadmap sequenced for your team's actual capacity.
• Templates and forms people will use — exception requests, risk acceptance, data classification self-service.

What “frictionless” means here

Standards written so a developer can apply them without calling security. Exception processes that finish in a week, not a quarter. Data classification you can self-serve. Risk acceptances that route to the right altitude automatically.

Frameworks we map to

NIST CSF (default), CIS Controls v8, ISO 27001 where warranted, EDUCAUSE HEISC governance maturity model. Higher-ed-specific considerations: shared governance bodies, CIO/CISO reporting structures, Board-committee dynamics.

Engagement shape

6-week governance readiness assessment + artifact development → 90-day implementation roadmap → optional facilitation of the executive risk committee for the first 2–3 cycles.

Frequently asked questions

• Do we need a CISO to have governance? No — many of our governance engagements are with institutions that don't have a dedicated CISO yet, and the governance work helps make the case for one if needed.
• We have NIST CSF on a shelf — why this? Because nobody reads it. The work isn't picking a framework; it's turning it into pieces your team will use.
• How does this work with shared governance / faculty senate? We design the committee structure around your institution's existing governance bodies — we don't try to graft on a Fortune 500 model.
• What about CMMC governance specifically? Same approach, with the CMMC-required artifacts (SSP, POA&M) on the deliverable list.
• How do you keep policy alive after you leave? Templates, calendar of review cycles, and owner assignments. The artifacts are yours; we step back.