Join us at IUG2025 in Denver to learn about and discuss the most relevant topics for library systems!
Visit the conference site for more details: IUG 2025 - Innovative Users Group
This year the conference includes several sessions covering different aspects of cybersecurity for libraries. The following sessions focus on or touch on library security.
Title: Securing Your Library Data
Presenter: Wes Osborn
Description: Library data security is more important than ever. This session will explore practical strategies to protect patron information and comply with privacy regulations. Attendees will gain insights into potential threats, including phishing attacks and financial motives behind cybercrimes, and learn how to strengthen security without overwhelming staff with technical complexity.
The presentation will cover key security guidelines, emphasizing the importance of email vigilance, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and smart password management. Attendees will also discover technical measures such as vendor credential management, anti-malware tools, and secure backup strategies to safeguard critical systems.
Title: System Security in an Insecure World
Presenter: III
Description: With ransomware and cyber attacks on the rise, a review of how Clarivate handles system security. It includes a look at the security built into our software, the security of our hosting services, and how we review security with third-party partners.
Title: A Day Ending in ‘Y’ in Florida: Handling Natural and Man-made Disasters
Presenter: Kristen Marshall
Description: I will go over the various disasters that have affected my library system since 2017 (Hurricane Irma (2017), an county-wide cyberattack (2019), Covid (2020), Hurricane Ian (2022), Hurricane Milton (2024)) and what we did before, during, and after to try and lessen the negative impacts on our users. Then it will be opened up to the attendees to share similar experiences, make suggestions, and ask questions. Although I will discuss actions that were done with our ILS (Polaris), I will also talk about what was done with other vendors (i.e. OverDrive) and other general actions (i.e. cyber security training implementation), so it’s more of a General forum than necessarily Polaris-specific.
Title: The Human Factor: Empowering Staff to Stay Secure
Presenter: Stephanie Thero
Description: Cybersecurity isn’t just a technology concern; it’s a collective responsibility. Regardless of the size of your library, your role, or technical prowess, if you’re connected, you’re affected. While technical solutions are critical, they’re only as strong as the people who use them. Staff training and awareness are crucial components in safeguarding library data and preventing breaches.
In this session, we will focus on the pivotal role library staff play in cybersecurity. You’ll learn about the most common risks to users and how to recognize and mitigate them. Whether you’re front-line staff or in a leadership position, this presentation will offer practical strategies to help you foster a security-conscious culture across your entire organization.
Whether you have a dedicated IT department or not, you’ll leave with actionable insights on how to make cybersecurity an everyday part of library operations, ensuring both your library and its patrons remain safe from cyber threats.
Title: Creating Effective Cybersecurity
Presenter: Alan McCarthy-Behler
Description: Whether you’re a systems administrator leading a team or a lone librarian in multiple roles, the steps to create effective cybersecurity are available to you. Using ISO27001 as the underlying framework and emphasizing a proactive, 20/80 approach (20% effort for 80% results), this session will cover the fundamental knowledge for ensuring a more secure IT environment.
Title: Implementing PINs for max security
Presenter: Brandon Cole
Description: Marmot implemented PINs last year as a response to many network/data breaches reported worldwide in the last few years. This presentation will look at the implementation of PINs in the current security climate and the steps we took to ensure that PINs would be as secure as possible.