Prioritizing Identity and Getting the Fundamentals Right – Bezawit Sumner – CSP #151
Prioritizing identity and getting the fundamentals right. We are managing more identities than ever – people-people, machine-to-machine, and people-machines. What actions should CISOs be ensuring are being done within the environment to prioritize identities? Join us as we discuss where Bezwit has focused to enhance the identity management process.
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Guest
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Bezawit Sumner is the Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Director of Security & Compliance for CRISP Shared Services (CSS), a non-profit organization which provides health information technology and support services, including privacy & security and finance, to affiliate members and other jurisdictions by way of agreement. CSS was founded in 2020 as a subsidiary of CRISP, the state-designated health information exchange and health data utility in Maryland, and to date shares infrastructure with statewide HIEs in Maryland, West Virginia, Connecticut, Alaska, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. As CSS CISO, Bezawit leads the cybersecurity, information security, and compliance programs and all supporting activities for the enterprise and connected affiliates.
Bezawit joined CRISP in November 2017 and was initially responsible for managing internal security and privacy audit activities. Over time, she developed a broad understanding of the organization’s infrastructure, security environment, and underlying requirements necessary for comprehensive security management and earned progressive leadership roles. Bezawit is an experienced Compliance and Security professional with a demonstrated history of successfully collaborating within the health IT sector. She has led organization wide programs in accordance with federal and state regulations and other compliance requirements, information security frameworks (HITRUST, SOC-2, EHNAC), internal design control, audits, and risk-based vendor management with an underlying passion to continually operationalize information security & compliance. Bezawit holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Jackson State University has her B.Sc. and M.S. from Jackson State University. Bezawit completed a thesis-based M.Sc. degree in colon cancer research.
Host
Todd Fitzgerald has built information Fortune 500/large company security programs for 20 years. Todd serves as VP, Cybersecurity Strategy and Chairman of the Cybersecurity Collaborative Executive Committee, was named 2016–17 Chicago CISO of the Year, ranked Top 50 Information Security Executive, authored 4 books including #1 Best Selling and 2020 CANON Hall of Fame Winner CISO COMPASS: Navigating Cybersecurity Leadership Challenges with Insights from Pioneers (2019), ground-breaking CISO Leadership: Essential Principles for Success, as well as contributions to a dozen others. Todd held senior leadership positions at Northern Trust, Grant Thornton International, Ltd, ManpowerGroup, WellPoint (Anthem) Blue Cross Blue Shield/ National Government Services, Zeneca/Syngenta, IMS Health and American Airlines.