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ITAM will provide a trusted and centralized view of the university’s IT assets, including applications, platforms, infrastructure, and related services. Rather than relying on disconnected spreadsheets or separate tracking systems across teams, ITAM helps bring information together into a shared system that improves visibility, coordination, and decision-making across UBC IT. 

“IT Asset Management is fundamentally a key priority item for UBC IT. It’s not just one team’s responsibility; it required a collective effort across the organization due to a large number of applications” says Salman Shahid, Chief Enterprise Architect at UBC IT 

Why ITAM Matters 

UBC relies on thousands of digital tools and applications to support teaching, learning, research, administration, and operations. Without a centralized inventory, it can get difficult to understand what systems exist, who manages them, how they are being used, and where opportunities or risks may exist. 

By creating a clearer picture of UBC’s technology landscape, ITAM helps support more informed planning around cybersecurity, operational efficiency, budgeting, modernization, and a long-term technology strategy. It also enables teams to identify duplication, better manage risk, and make more sustainable technology decisions. For example, understanding how many applications serve similar functions across the university can help identify opportunities to streamline systems, reduce unnecessary spending, and improve overall efficiency.  

How the System Works 

UBC IT is using ServiceNow as the central system of record for the IT asset inventory. The platform will be a shared source of truth where application data can be collected, validated, updated, and maintained over time. The main focus is to build a comprehensive inventory of UBC’s applications. So far, more than 450 applications have already been documented, with plans to expand that number significantly over the coming months. 

The process itself is designed to be simple and manageable for teams. Staff can submit or update application information directly through ServiceNow using a request form. The submitted information is then reviewed and validated before being added to the central inventory. . 

Supporting Adoption Across Teams 

ITAM is maintained through collaboration between these teams: Enterprise Architecture, Security, Finance, Engagement Services, Service Teams, and Data Governance. The implementation approach has also been internationally phased to support gradual adoption and long-term sustainability. Phase one established the foundational inventory and operating model, while phase two will expand the inventory to include a much larger number of applications across UBC. Training and support are being integrated into the rollout process to help teams adapt to the centralized system and maintain the inventory. 

Looking Ahead 

The ITAM application inventory has been instrumental in tracking and reporting IT systems that handle financial transactions and is currently supporting the Application Modernization program. Moving forward, a fully populated ITAM inventory will further enhance key operational processes, including Asset Lifecycle Management, Audit and Compliance, Configuration and Patch Management, and Incident Management. The next phase of implementation is expected to continue through the balance of the year, with the goal of accounting for more than 2,000 applications across the university.  

As the initiative evolves, ITAM will continue supporting UBC’s broader goals around operational resilience, responsible resource management, cybersecurity, and long-term technology planning. Ultimately, ITAM is not about adding bureaucracy or oversight. Instead, it is about creating a clear, connected, and reliable IT environment. 

On May 1^st 2026, UBC IT participated as part of 108 teams in the 16^th annual UBC Faculty & Staff Sports Day. This annual event included activities scattered across the UBC Aquatic Centre, Student Recreation Centre (SRC), War Memorial Gym, MacInnes Family Field, and Rec North. UBC IT staff favorites included Pool Noodle Javelin, Mini Pickleball, and Squirt Bottle Relay, amongst others.  

Over 610 faculty and staff from across campus participated, with many teams dressing up in costumes. Events like this highlight the spirit and connection that make our community thrive. We are proud of UBC IT staff for contributing to a culture of wellbeing, engagement, and community across campus.   

To stay active this summer, UBC Recreation is hosting the Faculty and Staff Summer Sports Series. This program offers free sports tournaments and drop-in programming for those working on UBC Vancouver’s Point Grey campus.  

Congratulations to our staff members who represented UBC IT at the Vancouver Sun Run! The Vancouver Sun Run is Canada’s largest 10K road race. On April 19, 2026, the 42^nd annual Sun Run featured approximately 57,500 registered participants, representing the second-highest total in the event’s history.  

Our staff kept the momentum going and represented Move UBC with pride. Most importantly, everyone made it across the finish line! While the event focused on promoting team wellness, it also included a bit of friendly competition as the two fastest runners each received a $50 voucher. Congratulations to our top finishers, Benny Rajan and Swati Mittal. 

A massive thank you to all our runners, walkers, and amazing cheerleaders who supported us along the way. Way to go Team UBC IT!

We sat down with UBC’s recently appointed Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Larry Carson, to discuss his career and vision for his first year as CISO. With more than 25 years of experience, Larry brings a long history of service to UBC and a deep understanding of our community. Larry has worked directly with many faculty, staff, and students to help keep UBC’s systems secure, lead incident response and prevention efforts, develop security standards, and advance the responsible use of AI and automation in cybersecurity operations. As CISO, Larry will lead the cybersecurity team in advancing UBC’s cybersecurity maturity and risk profile to ensure UBC’s data and infrastructure remain secure.  

A Career Built at UBC 

Larry’s journey at UBC began in the early 2000s in the Faculty of Forestry (now called the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship). Hired as their IT Manager, Larry still remembers one of his early tasks: deploying a firewall. His interest in cybersecurity grew from an early passion for computers and evolved over time. "I realized I like working with people as much as I enjoy writing code and programs” he reflects. After obtaining a degree in computer science, moving into operations and then security roles, cybersecurity soon became a central focus of his career. 

Since 2002, Larry has held multiple roles at UBC focused on strengthening the university’s cybersecurity capabilities. He has been an integral part of the Privacy and Information Security Management (PrISM) initiatives, overseeing the creation and growth of the Security Operations Centre, and supported the deployment of many UBC IT cybersecurity capabilities for example in digital forensics and malware analysis. His work has strengthened relationships across BC and the Canadian higher education sector, as well as within the global cybersecurity community, through involvement with groups like BCNET and the Canadian Center for Cyber Security (CCCS). Larry was also one of the members of the working group that built the Canadian Shared Security Operations Center (CanSSOC), a collaborative initiative providing cybersecurity services, threat intelligence, and alerts to Canada’s higher education sector.  These experiences have shaped Larry’s deep understanding of UBC’s technology landscape and his dedication to the UBC community. 

Leading Through Change 

Larry steps into the CISO role at a time of profound technological transformation. AI is reshaping both the challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity and propelling the evolution of increasingly sophisticated and creative techniques from threat actors. “Right now, the world is going through a substantive change,” Larry explains. “We get these every now and again. Something that makes a significant impact on how everything operates. AI is one of those changes and it’s going to get even more disruptive in the next year.” When asked about the biggest cybersecurity challenges facing higher education today, Larry pointed to two primary risks: criminal organizations seeking to monetize institutions, and nation-states targeting intellectual property.  

To guide UBC through this shifting landscape, Larry’s upcoming priorities include developing an updated cybersecurity strategy and further integrating machine learning and AI into UBC’s security operations. These risks combined with the rapid pace of technological development, reinforce that for Larry, “the biggest job that I have in front of me is to prepare people for change.” 

Working Together to Protect UBC’s Data, Information, Systems and People   

While the Chief Information Security Officer is an important leadership role for the university, Larry also highlighted the efforts of staff that play a significant role in keeping UBC secure. “If we can respond rapidly, we can keep cybersecurity threats from impacting faculty, staff, and students.” He noted that the Cybersecurity team works around the clock, including weekends and holidays, to ensure that essential university operations remain stable. 

Cybersecurity requires balancing evolving technologies and standards with the need to avoid disrupting daily operations. Larry explains, “we don’t want to create unnecessary work for our community or push new technologies for the sake of it, but from time to time, change is necessary to keep the University’s data safe. Our responsibility is to make sure the community is prepared and supported when those changes come.” Striking this balance between supporting readiness for change while enabling the university’s core mission remains central to Larry’s approach as CISO. As Larry reinforces, “From a security perspective, we want to keep things operating and we want people to be successful… We’re here to help.”  

What can the UBC community do to support information security? The advice is clear: “if you see something unusual that doesn’t line up with what you expect, report it to security@ubc.ca.”As Larry notes, “Timing is everything to us.” 

Larry’s leadership is anchored in a clear purpose: supporting UBC’s academic mission. As he reflects, “We help to enable teaching and learning so the next generation of students can learn. And we help to enable research in greater ways that can improve the quality of life for everyone in society.” Furthermore, Larry believes security is not a “solo activity” for institutions, but a pursuit that requires higher education institutions working together, for example through organizations like BCNET or CanSSOC. This collaborative approach combined with Larry’s experiences will position UBC’s cybersecurity portfolio to continue enabling excellence, resilience, and innovation at UBC and across the post‑secondary sector. 

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