Next week, December 8-12, 2025, REN-ISAC will join colleagues from across higher education in Denver for the Internet2 Technology Exchange 2025, and we are planning for this to be a very interactive week with the higher ed technology and cybersecurity community. TechEX is one of the key places where we connect directly with the people… Read more »
REN-ISAC
Strengthening cyber readiness in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet
Through the Academic Research Fleet Cybersecurity program (ARFSEC), OmniSOC, now part of REN-ISAC, provides cybersecurity services to the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, supporting vessel operators with practical security guidance and operational expertise suited for shipboard environments. Research vessels depend on digital systems that need to operate consistently in remote and bandwidth-limited environments. To support mission… Read more »
Campus Cyber Watch- Creating AI policies for your campus with Maggie Abate
AI is becoming ubiquitous in the higher education space, and with increased usage comes increased risks. For example, shadow AI usage–or the use of AI tools that have not been vetted or approved by the institution–poses unique challenges for college and university security offices. In a 2025 EDUCAUSE survey of staff and faculty at higher… Read more »
OmniSOC Strengthens Cyber Preparedness in Indiana Higher Ed
At a recent I-Light conference, OmniSOC led a session on tabletop exercises with member institutions. The session shared feedback from I-Light members for whom OmniSOC has facilitated these exercises and demonstrated how they help identify vulnerabilities. Members said these exercises provide real value by helping their organizations prepare for incident reporting and offering clear guidance… Read more »
REN-ISAC and OmniSOC Virtual Member Meeting, March 2 to 13, 2026
Our next member meeting will be a combined REN-ISAC and OmniSOC virtual event from March 2 to 13, 2026. This brings together OmniSOC Con, OmniSOC’s annual meeting, and RIMM the REN-ISAC Member Meeting, which has traditionally been held alongside the EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals Conference. The virtual format keeps costs down and makes it… Read more »
Register now: Upcoming Course: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring
Online Monday, November 17 – Saturday, November 22, 2025 This November, REN-ISAC and SANS are teaming up to bring you SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring. This online course uses hands-on labs and gamified challenges to provide real-world training experience in topics such as cloud monitoring, network detection and response, endpoint detection and… Read more »
Campus Cyber Watch – Weaponized SVGs: A New Front in Phishing Campaigns Against Higher Education
In July 2025, VirusTotal analysts uncovered a phishing campaign that relied on more than 500 malicious SVG files. Nearly fifty of the samples slipped past antivirus tools at the time of their first submission. The attachments looked like ordinary government portal icons. In reality, they carried code that redirected unsuspecting users to counterfeit login pages… Read more »
REN-ISAC Offers Five Webinars for NCSAM
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)! Co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), NCSAM is an effort to provide resources to keep Americans safer and more secure online. To celebrate, REN-ISAC is offering a variety of free webinars during the month of October. Check our… Read more »
Congratulations to the 2025 REN-ISAC Rising Stars cohort!
This August, the 2025 REN-ISAC and OmniSOC’s Rising Stars Cohort graduated with a presentation of their projects aimed at leading organizational change. Rising Stars is a staff-development initiative within REN-ISAC aimed at cultivating people-leaders and changemakers within the organization. The 2025 cohort of Rising Stars were nominated by their managers to participate in the program…. Read more »
Practice Before the Cybersecurity Crisis: Why Tabletop Exercises Matter in Higher Ed
When over a hundred higher education information security professionals gathered in Boston this August, the room was not there just to listen; they were there to imagine what could go wrong. At the 2025 Boston University Security Camp, Shane Albright, security advisor with REN-ISAC Information Security Assessment & Advisory Services, led that exercise with his… Read more »