Webinar | Security Operations and Higher Ed Student Talent

Provided by Dell Technologies | 2026 EDUCAUSE Mission Partner

This webinar is a part of the EDUCAUSE Industry Insights series.

As cyberthreats grow more sophisticated, higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to strengthen security operations across complex, distributed environments—often with limited staff and budget. In this session, the University of Tennessee System will share its story of building a modern SOC program to better protect campus systems, research, and institutional data.

This session will highlight the university’s broader programmatic approach that includes partnering with Dell Technologies to advance continuous monitoring, improved threat detection and response, and building a stronger operational security foundation. It will also explore how student participation and training are being integrated into the program, giving students hands-on experience alongside expert security analysts while helping the institution develop the next generation of cybersecurity talent.

Attendees will hear lessons learned from the university’s journey, including what it takes to build a more resilient security operation in higher education while also creating meaningful workforce development opportunities.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn practical strategies for improving continuous monitoring, threat detection, and response across a distributed campus.
• Observe how student participation and training can be integrated into security operations to support workforce development.
• Take away lessons for building a more resilient security program with limited staff and budget.
• Gain ideas for aligning cybersecurity operations with institutional priorities around research, data protection, and student success.