EDUCAUSE 2025: Higher Ed Strengthens Incident Response With AI and Practice
At EDUCAUSE 2025, CDW experts shared how higher education leaders can modernize security operations, use artificial intelligence-driven forensics and make tabletop services routine to build faster, smarter incident response strategies.
When Jeff Falsetti invoked artificial intelligence (AI) — Allen Iverson, not artificial intelligence (just yet) — he made his point clear: in cybersecurity, practice isn’t optional, it’s preparation.
At EDUCAUSE 2025, CDW experts Falsetti and Patrick Sullivan shared insights at a conference session titled, “Defending the Digital Campus: Mastering Incident Response in Higher Education.” Falsetti, a DFIR technical lead consultant, and Sullivan, a senior manager of security sales, joined industry peers to explore new strategies for mastering incident response in higher education through proactive tabletop exercises, AI-driven forensics and risk-based incident response strategies that keep institutions prepared.
With AI, machine learning and cloud-based analytics now embedded in response strategies, colleges are developing programs that can adapt as quickly as the threats themselves. Preparedness isn’t about panic, it’s about partnership, collaboration, process and a campuswide culture of security.
Participants:
Patrick Sullivan, Senior Manager, Security Sales, CDW
Jeff Falsetti, DFIR Technical Lead Consultant, CDW
Video Highlights:
- Higher education leaders are modernizing security operations centers and response plans to shorten recovery times.
- Artificial intelligence-driven forensics and automation help campuses detect and contain breaches faster.
- Cyber risk scoring enables universities to quantify vulnerabilities and invest strategically in mitigation.
Learn how an effective incident response strategy supports cyber resilience.
Akeya Dickson
Higher Education Editor, EdTech
