Frequently Asked Questions
- Step 1: Review research security awareness and malign influence information on this website to understand the risks and countermeasures to protect your research.
- Step 2: Heighten awareness to protect your research by reviewing and completing training options.
- Step 3: Keep your disclosures to IU updated through the Conflict of Interest and Commitment (COI-C) process.
The Export Control Office (ECO) provides information related to restricted party screening, international travel and activities, shipping, and international visitors. The ECO also provides resources and training and can contacted at export@iu.edu.
Academic Solicitation is a collection tactic used by malign foreign intelligence entities to gain information from experts usually for political gains. As a researcher at a prominent university, you and your research data are at risk for becoming targets to malign FIEs. By completing the RSO's Insider Risk Program, you will learn how to protect you and your research from these potential risks.
At present, Department of Defense agreements require CMMC certification, and it is expected that additional federal agencies may apply this same or a similar standard for asset protection. If you have questions or need assistance in understanding CMMC or obtaining NIST 800-171 certification for a government contract then please contact UITS Research Technologies.
Insider Risk
Insider risk comes from any person with authorized access to any university resources who uses that access either wittingly or unwittingly to do harm. The best defense is an active one, which helps to identify the threat before loss of information or research data, and to serve as an effective deterrent. By reporting adverse information, suspicious activities, and other insider risk indicators, you will actively help to detect, deter, and mitigate the insider risk.
There are training options to help understand the nature of the insider risk and provide some steps to help protect your research environment.
Malign Influence
Malign influence is a term RSO uses to describe covert actions taken by foreign agents to influence political sentiment and public discourse. This can include attempts to recruit and/or incentivize individuals to become insider risks.
IU presently uses an annual conflict of interest/conflict of commitment (COI-C) process through Kuali COI-C. This same process has been modified to reflect disclosures related to malign influence and agreements by IU personnel. There is no separate disclosure requirement for this purpose; however, IU is now requesting that updates occur throughout the year as situations change – with at least a yearly disclosure made to IU.
See more information about completing and submitting disclosures
A talent program, also known as a talent recruitment plan or academic excellence initiative, is a foreign government-sponsored program created to recruit subject matter experts in fields of interest to sponsoring government, usually STEM fields, to obtain sensitive information and technology. The program is part of broader strategy conducted by a foreign government to acquire knowledge and technology solely for benefitting their economic and/or military interests.
Talent programs attract subject matter experts through financial incentives, laboratories, commendations, or job offers. The most known talent programs include China’s Thousand Talents Program (TTP), which underwent a rebranding in 2019 to the National High-End Foreign Experts Recruitment Plan, and Russia’s Project 5-100.