Leading Engagement and Change in UMD’s Policy-Driven Network Transformation – Gerratt – Prem
Abstract:
Higher education institutions are increasingly challenged to modernize legacy network access models that historically prioritized openness and functionality over security. These legacy approaches introduce significant risk in today’s evolving threat landscape and limit the ability to enforce consistent, scalable access controls across diverse users, devices, and environments.
This session examines how institutions can successfully transition to a policy-driven network access model, where access decisions are based on user identity, device posture, and role. Drawing on a large-scale campus network transformation, this case study highlights practical and transferable strategies for designing, validating, and deploying such a model within decentralized higher education environments characterized by diverse stakeholders and complex use cases.
Attendees will gain actionable insights across three critical phases of implementation:
- Designing the Network: Learn how to engage cross-functional stakeholders early through structured workshops, drive informed decision-making, clarify ownership, and establish a scalable architectural foundation before broad deployment.
- Finalizing the Design: Understand how to prioritize critical path activities, implement comprehensive regression testing, and validate solutions in production-like environments to identify real-world constraints.
- Planning and Executing the Rollout: Explore a change management–first approach that incorporates pilot programs to refine processes and build stakeholder buy-in, leverages automation to streamline migration workflows, and uses structured onboarding to support distributed IT teams.
This session equips project managers and technology leaders with proven approaches to managing complex infrastructure transformation initiatives while balancing security, scalability, and organizational alignment.
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