The State of Networking and Security in Higher Education
Panel Discussion with Thought Leaders in Education
May 19, 2026 10:00 AM PST / 1:00 PM EST
Abstract
Higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to deliver seamless digital experiences while defending against escalating cyber threats - all with limited resources and growing infrastructure complexity.
Nile’s State of Networking & Security in Higher Education report - based on 117 CIOs, CISOs, and IT leaders reveals a widening gap between rising cyber risk and the ability of campus IT teams to respond.
The findings are clear:
- 94% of IT teams are understaffed or firefighting, while 61% face monthly outages
- Only 50% are confident in preventing or containing a breach
- Nearly half have yet to meaningfully adopt Zero Trust
This is not a set of isolated issue - it’s a structural challenge.
Join higher education technology thought leaders as they unpack these insights and discuss how institutions are rethinking network architecture, operations, AI and security.
In this session, you’ll learn about:
- Primary drivers of risk and complexity
- How leaders are thinking about campus IT trends and what's top of mind
- How leading institutions are using AI and new architectures to scale securely
Hear directly from peers and walk away with a clearer path to a more resilient, secure campus network.
