Dean Boenzi, Information Security Analyst III, is one of the newest InfoSec team members. Dean’s primary duties on the InfoSec team revolve around “ensuring data security and compliance.” He supports the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) program by “developing policies, conducting risk assessments, monitoring alerts, and investigating HIPAA violations to maintain patient privacy and to protect sensitive information.” These kinds of investigations are one of Dean’s favorite parts of his job in infosec. He notes that after a security event, he “enjoys figuring out what happened and how to prevent it from happening again.” This interest in problem-solving encouraged Dean to work in information security, which “offers an endless supply of challenges” and “high stakes puzzles, where the stakes are protecting the organization.” These challenges cannot be managed by a simple tool or technical fix. “In order for security to be effective, the organization really needs a security-minded culture.” This approach is what Dean enjoys about working at WashU, where “everyone is genuinely invested in finding solutions that balance security and usability.”
Before joining WashU, Dean “worked as an installer for a residential/commercial security system company.” This was his first dabble into security. His job in physical security led Dean to transition to IT, where he worked in IT tech support for Dell before managing IT for a small company, then working as a contractor for the Department of Defense in their network operations center (NOC), then transitioning to another NOC at Scottrade, before finally taking a position at SSM Health in their cybersecurity division. This vast experience led Dean to his current role at WashU as an information security analyst III.
When Dean isn’t investigating our security incidents and protecting the university, he “enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking, completing home improvements, and just building things in general!” Some resources that Dean recommends if you’re interested in breaking into the security scene are BrightTalk, Slashdot, and Help Net Security. Even if you’re not interested in working in security, Dean encourages anyone to reach out to someone on the infosec team to learn about “the threats they face and how to protect themselves and their families.” If you have any questions for the security team, check out our newsletter, SECURED, or email us at infosec@wustl.edu.