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#197: LSU's $7.5M Student-Powered SOC + NJIT's Life-Saving Analytics + Illinois' Creative Data Applications Powered by Splunk [EDUCAUSE 2024]

Featuring: Craig Woolley (LSU), Kim Milford (University of Illinois UC), Ed Wozencroft (NJIT), & Mary Lou Prevost (Splunk)

Listen now: YouTube x Apple x Spotify

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Featuring:

  • Craig Woolley, Chief Information Officer at Louisiana State University (LSU)

  • Kim Milford, Chief Information Security Officer at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • Ed Wozencroft, VP for Digital Strategy and CIO at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)

  • Mary Lou Prevost, Group Vice President | US | State, Local Government and Education at Splunk

What You’ll Learn:

Student-Powered SOC: A Revolutionary Education & Security Model

  • How LSU created a scalable "student-powered" SOC model that provides real-world cybersecurity experience while enhancing institutional protection

  • The unique public-private partnership with Techstream that enables 24/7 security operations while students work regular business hours

  • State-level buy-in with $7.5 million in recurring funding that has expanded the model to over 20 institutions across Louisiana

Developing the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Professionals

  • How the model creates a direct pipeline to industry with the first cohort of students all receiving job offers before graduation

  • The critical "six-week" timeline from student hiring to SOC frontline deployment, meeting the urgent need for cyber talent

  • Why both LSU and NJIT open their programs to students of all backgrounds, not just IT or cybersecurity majors

Expanding Data Analytics Beyond Security

  • University of Illinois' creative applications of Splunk beyond security - from analyzing email marketing performance to library resource utilization

  • How IT data helped locate a student in crisis at NJIT, demonstrating the life-saving potential of security analytics platforms

  • The power of data visualization in communicating cybersecurity threats to government officials and securing institutional buy-in

Building Consensus in Decentralized Universities

  • The patient, collaborative approach to cybersecurity policy development with faculty at LSU through regular committee meetings

  • University of Illinois' strategy of absorbing security costs centrally rather than charging departments to ensure wider adoption

  • How cross-institutional partnerships amplify security capabilities through shared threat intelligence

Timestamps

  • (00:00:00) Intro

  • (00:00:58) Meet the innovators: HigherEd leaders transforming cybersecurity

  • (00:02:00) LSU's game-changing SOC model: Where university security meets workforce development

  • (00:05:40) Addressing the 2.3 million cyber job gap: "We have to solve this talent challenge"

  • (00:07:40) NJIT's bold vision: Expanding the student SOC model across New Jersey's institutions

  • (00:11:00) Beyond security: University of Illinois transforms email analytics and library services

  • (00:16:15) Data saves lives: How network analytics prevented a campus tragedy at 2AM

  • (00:22:50) "All three have job offers already": The remarkable ROI of student-powered security

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Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.