Outsmarting your Cyber Threats: The Case for Fractional CISOs in Higher Ed

Higher education institutions operate in a digital ecosystem unlike any other. From sprawling residential campuses with thousands of connected devices to research labs handling sensitive government-sponsored data, universities are managing complex cybersecurity needs with limited resources.  

Over the years, I’ve worked with a wide variety of these institutions. Below, you’ll find a few insights on the unique challenges they face, as well as my thoughts on how a fractional CISO model can provide a solid strategic solution for some of them. 

 

A Complex Cyber Landscape  

When people think of higher education, they often imagine large public universities or elite Ivy League schools. But the reality is far more diverse. Community colleges, liberal arts colleges, commuter campuses and research-intensive institutions all fall under the “higher ed” umbrella—and each presents different cybersecurity needs. 

Residential colleges, for example, face increased risk exposure because of the sheer number of connected devices students bring on campus. These environments often function like miniature cities, requiring high-speed, always-available WiFi and entertainment access. This lifestyle-first approach to IT introduces a very specific threat profile. 

On the other end of the spectrum, commuter schools might have fewer on-campus devices but they’re still dealing with cloud services, complex user environments and data privacy concerns. There’s truly no one-size-fits-all model for cybersecurity in this space. 

 

Underfunded and Understaffed 

One of the most consistent issues I’ve seen in this sector is a severe resource gap. Many small to mid-sized institutions simply don’t have the budget to build out full cybersecurity teams. Key functions like risk assessment, incident response and threat monitoring often fall to overburdened IT staff. In some cases, schools even turn to student-run Security Operations Centers (SOCs) to step into this gap. 

These student SOCs can be a great training ground but they rarely offer the maturity or strategic foresight needed for long-term planning. Without that support, many schools are stuck operating in reactive mode—constantly putting out fires instead of acting strategically to prevent them. 

 

The Research Dilemma 

Research institutions face yet another layer of complexity. While most academic research is purposefully meant to be shared public (“publish or perish”), certain types—such as defense-funded research—demand stringent data controls. 

I remember working on a project involving MRI data sent directly to a supercomputer for real-time analysis. The innovation was exciting, but it also raised significant security concerns because researchers tend to focus on the technology over the threat. In the end, careful consideration was required to find a functional but flexible solution capable of balancing academic openness with managing security risk. 

This type of recurring balancing act is not at all uncommon in a research-focused institution. 

 

Regulatory Whiplash 

When it comes to cyber regulations, there’s only one thing you can count on—nothing ever stays the same for long. This is especially true in an educational setting.  

Depending on the overall political climate or the specific party in power, schools often find themselves bouncing back and forth between aggressive regulatory micromanagement and a more laissez-faire approach.   

This type of whipsawing makes it even more difficult to establish a stable, strategic compliance strategy without overextending already scarce resources.  

 

Enter the Fractional CISO 

With so many challenges, how can schools level up their cybersecurity posture without blowing their budgets? 

That’s where the fractional CISO model comes in. Instead of hiring a full-time executive, institutions can make use of a seasoned cybersecurity leader to help them focus on one or more of these problem areas.  

While your cybersecurity staff work their daily operations, a fractional CISO can help you formulate and implement strategic plans for your institution in the context of academic, research or residential risk management activities. The fractional CISO approach also helps smaller and medium sized institutions to keep their hiring process realistic, and avoid spending their time looking for “unicorns” in the cybersecurity leader market. 

I’ve seen the shared CISO model work firsthand. In eastern Pennsylvania, for instance, two small colleges, Susequehanna University and Franklin and Marshall College joined forces to hire one CISO who rotated between campusesi—a sort of circuit-rider approach that gave them valuable strategic oversight without the full-time cost. 

For larger institutions with established cybersecurity teams and a CISO in place, hiring a fractional CISO may be the best option to help you make key process improvements, exercise your IR-to-DR-to BCP processes or tune up your cybersecurity governance.  

Some universities look to hire a deputy CISO for some elements of their risk portfolio, such as clinical and translational research, leading key risk assessment activities of a particular school or university department. An experienced fractional CISO in this capacity will help fill the need for cybersecurity project leadership while the time-consuming process of finding and hiring the right talent works itself through the meandering processes prevalent in academia. 

In terms of regulatory issues, there were many times I’d wished I could just retain a cybersecurity ambassador. This person would help interpret core Department of ED direction and speak “government-ese” to explain the educational landscape to outside partners. 

Executed correctly, a fractional CISO strategy can help mitigate many of the challenges listed above, offering deep expertise at a fraction of the cost, scalable support tailored to each institution, timely insights on threats and compliance shifts and the flexibility to adapt to evolving needs. 

 

Higher education is about knowledge—but it’s also about managing data, networks and intellectual property at scale. And while cyber threats grow more sophisticated every year, most institutions simply aren’t equipped to go it alone. 

In this environment, a fractional CISO isn’t just a budget solution—it’s a strategic one.  

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