A quick call with Merel Snoeck about knowledge security in international collaborations
As a university, we enjoy collaborating with international partners, but it can happen that sensitive information falls into the wrong hands. For that reason, employees need to carefully weigh up the possible risks of every potential cooperation. Adviser Merel Snoeck explains the new knowledge security policy.
So, Merel, what's your role at the Knowledge Security Advice Desk?
‘I'm responsible for providing project support. I support the Knowledge Security Coordinator and act as a sparring partner in terms of content. I also help develop tools that make it easier to assess whether an international collaboration is permitted and desirable. Examples include a flowchart that allows you to perform a knowledge security check.’
How do you help assess knowledge security questions?
‘When a question comes in, we first of all discuss how we're going to handle it. I then gather all of the snippets of information from various sources that are needed to assess whether a collaboration is safe and responsible. I draw up a comprehensive overview so that the Advice Desk and Knowledge Security Committee can give well-reasoned advice. We always work with the four-eyes principle so that situations are assessed by more than one person. This reduces the risk of bias. We also believe it's important to learn from every case we handle so we can continually expand our knowledge and enhance our procedure.’
Can you give an example of a notable case?
‘There was the case of a researcher who was invited to a conference abroad and would visit several universities by invitation. We gave him some practical tips to help protect his data. For example: don't discuss sensitive topics in public spaces, don't use USB sticks or cables belonging to strangers and, preferably, leave your laptop and mobile at home. The researcher was happy with our tips, and he was able to travel for work safely and with peace of mind.
In collaboration with the Security Office, Security Affairs and Knowledge Security, the ISSC is currently implementing a service that enables clean laptops and phones to be taken to countries where the risk to knowledge security is high. The very first issue that came in to the Advice Desk has also stayed with me. It concerned the appointment of an international PhD candidate from a country on the sanctions list. All the key factors for assessing knowledge security issues came into play in this case. We looked into the legislation and regulations, risk factors and the funding source, for example. The case helped us enormously when it came to shaping our current procedure and flowchart.’
And, lastly, do you have a final tip to share?
‘When you're considering entering into an international collaboration, always ask yourself whether there are any risks to knowledge security. If in doubt, use the website – it contains useful tools to help assess potential collaborations. If you're still unsure, you can always get in touch with the knowledge security adviser at your faculty or the Advice Desk. Weighing up the opportunities and risks is not always easy, so take your time and it will become second nature. I also found it quite difficult to assess the very first case that came in, but I've become more used to it by now. Sometimes I feel a bit like a detective!’
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