In this month’s We Are OIT article, OIT is introducing Brandon Cisco, an Information System Security Manager (ISSM) here at The University of Alabama, providing security for education and research online.
As an ISSM, Brandon’s work specializes in setting up and managing technical security for research at UA. “We allow faculty and members of the UA community a secure platform to conduct specialized research,” said Brandon. These platforms are configured with higher security standards to allow researchers to comply with certain funded research projects. Without these platforms, certain research would not be permitted to occur at UA.
He manages the Research Information Assurance Team, which serves as on-campus support for both the physical and virtual environments. They work to provide assistance and support to users to further education and research at the university.
With this work, Brandon said, “There’s always something new to tackle. Working through that and getting a more complete understanding of everything that’s going on within the secure research ecosystem.”
Brandon has worked in Information Technology for over twenty years. Ten years ago, he transitioned from the infrastructure and construction side of IT to technical management. This transition was due to opportunities provided to him to receive further certification via the Army National Guard.
When Brandon originally joined the Army National Guard, he was primarily running wires and hanging telephone lines for service members to communicate. As the military began to introduce satellite communication, his company thought Brandon to be a good candidate for schooling to learn more about this new advancement. Through this, he earned many certifications and returned to work more with satellite communication. “Through my different life experiences, that wasn’t necessarily the route I thought I was going to end up being able to take,” said Brandon.
Before he joined the Army National Guard, Brandon attended The University of Alabama. He graduated from UA in 2013 with his Bachelor’s in General Business. Brandon continued his education further, attending Liberty University to get his Master’s in Cybersecurity. Both degrees and certifications have provided him with an extensive education in information technology.
Brandon also enjoys time with his family, his wife, and his two children. They are often running their kids to many different recreational sports, including but not limited to baseball, basketball, volleyball, flag football, and soccer. However, when the weather is right, you can find Brandon and his family visiting the beach or hunting on their family land.
The University of Alabama and the Office of Information Technology appreciate and recognize all the work that Brandon does to elevate research capabilities on campus.