EDUCAUSE

A white and blue graphic with geometric patterns and smiling conference attendees. The text reads: Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference April 28-30 | Anaheim, CA

We’re looking forward to bringing the higher ed security & privacy community together at the 2026 Cybersecurity & Privacy Professionals Conference, happening April 28–30, Anaheim, CA. You don’t want to miss a moment of the higher ed cybersecurity & privacy community’s premier event!

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Alt-text: Illustration of a vintage mobile phone with the text "Hotline: Cybersecurity and Privacy March 2026 by Michael Corn," with a yellow grid background. Transcribed Text: HOTLINE CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY MARCH 2026 by Michael Corn The Voice of the Higher Education Technology Community EDUCAUSE REVIEW

Alt-text: Graphic discussing cybersecurity strategy blind spots in higher education on a dark gray background. Transcribed Text: What is the biggest blind spot for higher education in terms of its current cybersecurity strategy, and why does it persist? I’ll pick one that I’ve both observed and been guilty of myself: the failure to think big. I’d like to see more of us take bigger swings and advance strategic initiatives that fundamentally change the cybersecurity paradigm. Most of us have been trained to think within the boundaries of "what’s likely," but this mindset throttles our imaginations and, thus, our aspirations.

Alt-text: Text on a dark gray background discussing CMMC/CUI-compliant research infrastructure needs. Transcribed Text: With the demand for CMMC/CUI-compliant research computing and storage infrastructure, do you expect commercial offerings will meet these needs, or will we need to build bespoke solutions? While it may feel like every service provider has pivoted entirely to AI, the offerings for CMMC Level 2 enclaves are expanding faster than most of us can track. Bespoke solutions may be necessary, but they are intrinsically more expensive. If we can’t help one another in this space, we’re doing a disservice to higher education.

Alt-text: Image with text discussing a transition to an unexpected CISO role, offering three strategies on how to handle it. Transcribed Text: I was hired to manage servers. Then I “volunteered” to help with policies. Now everyone calls me the CISO. How do I claw my way out of this? Option one: Run screaming. While the job market isn’t great right now, there’s no harm in casting around for something more aligned with your passions. Option two: Build the case for hiring a dedicated CISO or security team. Option three: Embrace the pain. Your end goal is to elevate yourself into a CISO or CISO-like position and shed your non-security responsibilities.

"Hotline: Cybersecurity & Privacy" tackles the quandaries related to higher ed cybersecurity. This month, Mike answers questions about strategy, CMMC/CUI-compliant research computing, & the expansion of cybersecurity job responsibilities.

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This episode of Rising Voices explores how community, mentorship, and shared experiences within higher education technology create confidence, spark growth, and open unexpected opportunities for those seeking connection and meaningful professional pathways.

er.educause.edu/podcasts/edu...

The call for proposals for the 2026 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference is now open!

Have a story, strategy, or lesson learned from your campus? Submit your proposal and help shape this year’s program.

The CFP is open March 10 - April 7.

events.educause.edu/annual-confe...

Graphic for EDUCAUSE Upcoming Learning Labs with event details and a graphic of a hand holding a lightbulb. Transcribed Text: EDUCAUSE UPCOMING LEARNING LABS Data Storytelling | The What, Why, and How - March 2026 March 17, 23, 26, 31 | 12-1:30 PM ET The AI Threat: Protecting Your Email from AI-Generated Attacks - May 2026 May 6, 13, 18, 31 | 12-1:30 PM ET Data Governance Essentials - May 2026 May 7, 11, 14, 21 | 12-1:30 PM ET Applied AI Security for Higher Ed Professionals: May 2026 May 19, 21, 26, 28 | 3-4:30 PM ET educause.edu

We have some great Learning Lab opportunities coming up! You'll come away with actionable insights and skills that you can implement at your institution and help you advance in your career. Check them out!

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A blue and green graphic featuring two hands shaking, one with technology symbols on it. The text reads: Collaborative Cybersecurity EDUCAUSE Showcase Series

ICYMI, the new EDUCAUSE Showcase shows you how to build that culture and turn trust into your institution’s strongest line of defense.

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A graphic featuring a quote about colleges and universities aligning critical functions within the cyber landscape, with a campus image and arrow. The text reads: EDUCAUSE Colleges and universities MUST ALIGN THEIR CRITICAL FUNCTIONS in ways that ensure their digital ecosystems can operate safely and effectively WITHIN THE BROADER CYBER LANDSCAPE. Elizabeth Cole-Walker, "Reevaluating the Mission of Higher Education: Meeting Our Cybersecurity Challenges Together," EDUCAUSE Review

Cybersecurity is everyone’s job.

In our latest EDUCAUSE Showcase, Collaborative Cybersecurity, we tackle the #1 issue in the 2026 Top 10 and break down how to align security with your mission, build real trust, and bring your whole campus to the table.

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A blue and yellow graphic, featuring a quote. The text reads: "The age of AI does not diminish the faculty member's role; it expands and elevates it. Higher education becomes one of the last social institutions capable of cultivating the habits of mind a democracy requires." The Role of Faculty in the University of the Future by Tanya Gamby, David Kil, Rachel Koblic, Paul LeBlanc, Mihnea Moldoveanu and George Siemens

In the age of AI, the true future of higher education lies not in replacing faculty but in freeing them to do what only humans can—build meaningful relationships, cultivate wisdom, and guide students through the ethical and intellectual challenges machines cannot navigate.

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Cover of an EDUCAUSE Review issue titled "Smart Spending: Inexpensive Strategies for IT Professional Development in Higher Education." The Text Reads: The Voice of the Higher Education Technology Community EDUCAUSE REVIEW Smart Spending: Inexpensive Strategies for IT Professional Development in Higher Education by Valerie Vogel and Cynthia Golden Smart Spending Strategies

Image titled "Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning" with points for IT leaders on staff support. Text: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning IT leaders should consider how they support staff members in their learning journeys. Allocate Time for Learning Encourage Individual Development Plans Take Staff Location into Account Share Insights Recognize Accomplishments The Voice of the Higher Education Technology Community EDUCAUSE REVIEW

Infographic on low-cost professional development strategies for IT leaders, titled "Supporting Professional Development on a Budget." Transcribed Text: Supporting Professional Development on a Budget Even when budgets are tight, IT leaders have many low-cost opportunities. • Explore Institutional Offerings and Create Opportunities • Check Out What’s Available Locally or Regionally • Encourage Mentoring • Look for Free Professional Development Opportunities • Tap into Online Training • Leverage Vendor Connections The Voice of the Higher Education Technology Community EDUCAUSE Review

Image with a yellow banner reading "Sustaining Professional Development Through Leadership" and text about IT leadership and development strategies. Transcribed Text: Sustaining Professional Development Through Leadership IT leaders who integrate professional development strategies into annual planning, budgeting, and staff development discussions demonstrate a level of care and attention that team members value. By embracing these strategies, higher education IT teams can learn new skills, strengthen existing ones, and continue to grow and thrive in their careers. EDUCAUSE Review

Many institutions struggle to find financial resources to provide their employees with the professional development they need. The following strategies can help leaders foster an environment where learning is valued, even in the face of budgetary and structural challenges.

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EDUCAUSE Scholarships Financial assistance is available for EDUCAUSE members to attend professional development programs. Apply today! educause.edu/careers/scholarships

For the 2026 EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference, we are offering 2 types of scholarships - Full Ride Scholarships and Conference Registration Scholarships.

 Full Ride Due Date: March 6, 2026
 
Conference Registration Due Date: March 13, 2026

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A blue and white graphic, featuring conference attendees. The text reads: Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference April 28-30, 2026 | Anaheim, CA

Register for the Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference before March 3 to take advantage of $100 off your registration rate. Don’t miss it!

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A blue and green graphic featuring shaking hands, one of which has technology markings on it. The text reads: Collboarative Cybersecurity Educause Showcase Series

Collaborative Cybersecurity, the first in our 2026 Showcase Series, tackles the #1 issue in the 2026 Top 10 and shows how to stay mission-focused, build trust, and make security a shared responsibility across the whole campus.

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A blue graphic featuring upcoming EDUCAUSE events. The text reads: EDUCAUSE Upcoming Events promotional graphic with event details and a megaphone illustration. Transcribed Text: EDUCAUSE UPCOMING EVENTS March 2-11 Teaching with AI: March 2, 2026 March 2-9 EDUCAUSE Leadership Series | AI for Cybersecurity and Privacy Leaders: Strategy, Execution, and Impact March 2 | 2PM-3PM ET Showcase Webinar | Collaborative Cybersecurity March 4 | 3PM-4PM ET Webinar | Key Findings from CHLOE 10 + 2026 Conversations for Online Learning Decision-Makers March 11 | 3PM-4PM ET Webinar | Campus Cyber Ops: Modernize, Train, Profit educause.edu

Check out these Upcoming EDUCAUSE Events!

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Find insights from our corporate community on how to strengthen a culture of collaborative cybersecurity in our latest Showcase.

Thank you to 2026 Mission Partner, Moran Technology Consulting, and 2026 Strategic Partner, Proofpoint, for supporting this work!

www.educause.edu/showcase-ser...

Image illustrating action steps for agency, trust, and transparency at universities. In the background we see people in a professional setting. The text reads: UNIT-LEVEL ACTIONS FOR AGENCY, TRUST, AND TRANSPARENCY Provide members with in-depth awareness training. Create accountability mechanisms for privacy and security policies. Improve identity validation. Restrict the use of purchasing cards for unvetted technology. Stay up-to-date on evolving security trends. 2025 EDUCAUSE Horizon Action Plan: Supporting Agency, Trust, Transparency, and Involvement.

Successful cybersecurity programs honor end users’ agency, fostering trust within the community & beyond, centering transparency, & involving all stakeholders.

The EDUCAUSE Showcase, Collaborative Cybersecurity, reveals how to honor & trust agency & keep your institution safe.

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Graphic with a quote about making interactions less transactional. Below, a group discussion image. The text reads: FOCUS ON MAKING YOUR INTERACTIONS LESS TRANSACTIONAL. Recognize that user resistance is feedback, not defiance. Michael Corn, “Hotline: Cybersecurity and Privacy | January 2026,” EDUCAUSE Review EDUCAUSE

In our latest EDUCAUSE Showcase, Collaborative Cybersecurity, you’ll learn about how to embrace nuance, focus on the mission at hand, and how to honor trust and agency when it comes to creating an effective and collaborative cybersecurity environment.

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Text on a white and blue background with geometric shapes. The text reads: Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference April 28-20, 2026 | Anaheim, CA

Don’t miss the annual Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference! Join us and connect with colleagues to discuss, share, and find out how others are meeting today’s and tomorrow's challenges. Register before 3/3 to take advantage of early registration rates.

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Text about aligning a university's critical functions on a split graphic of urban imagery and a stylized arrow. Text: Colleges and universities MUST ALIGN THEIR CRITICAL FUNCTIONS in ways that ensure their digital ecosystems can operate safely and effectively WITHIN THE BROADER CYBER LANDSCAPE. Elizabeth Cole-Walker, “Reevaluating the Mission of Higher Education: Meeting Our Cybersecurity Challenges Together,” EDUCAUSE Review.

In our Collaborative Cybersecurity, we zero in on the #1 issue of the 2026 Top 10 and examine how institutions should be focusing on the mission, embracing nuance, and honoring trust and agency when it comes to creating an effective and collaborative cybersecurity environment.

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Promotional image for "Collaborative Cybersecurity" featuring handshake with circuit board overlay. Text: COLLABORATIVE CYBERSECURITY EDUCAUSE SHOWCASE SERIES

Collaborative Cybersecurity zeroes in on the #1 issue of the 2026 Top 10 and provides insights into how institutions should focus on the mission, embrace nuance, and honor trust and agency when it comes to creating an effective and collaborative cybersecurity environment.

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A graphic featuring blue and green text on a white and blue background, with smiling conference attendees. The text reads: NERCOMP For IT and Library Professionals in Higher Education Connect Locally, Think Globally NERCOMP Annual Conference March 9-11, 2026 Providence, RI Early registration rates end January 21.

The theme of this year’s NERCOMP Annual Conference is Connect Locally, Think Globally. We’ll explore how trends, challenges, & innovations shape our work—while grounding in local communities, campuses, & networks where impact happens. Register & join us in Providence, RI March 9-11.

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A graphic with blue text on a white background, featuring a woman sitting at a computer. The text reads: Find top talent who "gets" higher ed. EDUCAUSE CAREER CENTER jobs.educause.edu

The EDUCAUSE Career Center is built specifically for the higher ed community—connecting institutions with professionals who understand the mission, culture, & complexity of campus life. This is where higher ed finds people. Explore opportunities or post a role!

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A graphic with black text on a white background with colorful geometric shapes and a photo of people working on a computer. The text reads: EDUCAUSE The Higher Ed Guide for the Corporate Community All-new Two Day Learning Model! February 23 and 25 Online

Working with & supporting higher ed requires more than knowing the latest tech. It demands a deep understanding of how institutions make decisions, fund priorities, & form partnerships. Register for the next Higher Ed Guide for the Corporate Community starting February 23.

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"Technology leaders can drive student success by blending work and learning, using data to inform decisions, and ending digital sprawl." Harnessing Data, Taming Digital Sprawl, and Enabling Experiential Learning for Student Success by Elliot Felix EDUCAUSE Review

Institutions need the right technology systems, support services, staff, strategy, and leadership to make this possible.

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EDUCAUSE Awards The EDUCAUSE Awards Program brings peer endorsement and distinction to professional accomplishments in higher education IT.

The EDUCAUSE Awards nominations are open! The EDUCAUSE Awards Program highlights peer-endorsed professional accomplishments in higher ed technology. Don’t miss your chance, submit your nomination by March 27!

Thank you to Moran Technology Consulting, an EDUCAUSE Mission Partner.

A graphic featuring white text and a yellow lock icon. The text reads: EDUCAUSE Review Reevaluating the Mission of Higher Education: Meeting our Cybersecurity Challenges Together Understanding the Cybersecurity Ecosystem

A graphic featuring black and white text on a dark gray background. The text reads: Business Function The business function defines institutional priorities and goals, and cybersecurity is an integral part of those priorities. Business leaders are responsible for defining risk tolerance and strategies that guide protection, detection, response, and recovery planning, making their involvement essential to aligning cybersecurity with the core priorities of the institution. EDUCAUSE Review

A graphic featuring black and white text on a dark gray background. The text reads: Technology Function When cybersecurity is housed within IT, institutions may unintentionally reinforce the perception that security is a technical problem rather than a strategic, enterprise‑wide concern. This perception can contribute to siloed cybersecurity activities and undermine effective coordination, shared governance, and sound institutional risk management. EDUCAUSE Review

A graphic featuring black and white text on a dark gray background. The text reads: Risk & Security Functions Higher education institutions must build cybersecurity programs that are grounded in solid business and risk management practices. Ensuring that all security domains participate in and inform the cybersecurity program is critical to reducing institutional risk and strengthening overall resilience. EDUCAUSE Review

Cybersecurity is essential in today's digital, interconnected, technology-driven world. It is an ecosystem that touches every aspect of the institution and should be integrated into all operations.

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EDUCAUSE Institutional Resilience Toolkit Technical

Technical, Institutional and Specialized Expertise Technical, institutional, and specialized expertise are essential to institutional success in a resource-constrained environment EDUCAUSE

Institutional leaders will need to build workforce skills across multiple domains, including IT, research, administration, and student services.

We know higher education is facing big changes, and EDUCAUSE is here for you. We developed the Institutional Resilience Toolkit to equip higher education institutions with resources that help you maximize opportunities in uncertain times.

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Graphic with a red background and white text. EDUCAUSE Teaching with AI February 17-26 Explore real-world AI applications, engage in interactive activities, and collaborate with peers to develop actionable insights for their teaching practices.

Explore real-world AI applications, engage in interactive activities, and collaborate with peers to develop actionable insights for their teaching practices. Register for the next Teaching with AI on March 2–11.

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Graphic with white and yellow text on a dark blue background. The text reads: "In a profession increasingly defined by burnout, this reframing is essential. AI can serve institutional efficiency, but it should also support the well-being of both faculty and students." AI and Course Design: Machines Can Help, but Only Humans Can Teach

Amid all the noise surrounding AI, higher education cannot lose sight of faculty. The future of teaching and learning will be shaped—now as always—by their expertise, values, and leadership.

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A graphic with blue hexagons and text on a white background with a photo of conference attendees. Text: Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference April 28-30, 2026 | Anaheim, CA

Join your peers at the Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference April 28–30. Register before 3/3 to take advantage of early registration rates.

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NERCOMP For IT and Library Professionals in Higher Education Connect Locally, Think Globally NERCOMP Annual Conference March 9-11, 2026 Rovidence, RI Early registration rates end January 21.

Explore how global trends, challenges, & innovations shape our work—while grounding our conversations in the local communities, campuses, & networks where impact truly happens. We hope to see you at this year's NERCOMP Conference March 9-11 in Providence, RI.

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