Biography

Jeff Jennings is a nationally recognized cybersecurity strategist and public sector technology advisor with more than 29 years of experience serving the SLED sector — including eight years dedicated exclusively to cybersecurity. He brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise, federal funding fluency, and mission-driven commitment to the institutions that shape our communities: colleges, universities, K–12 districts, and state and local governments.

As SLED National Capture Manager at SentinelOne, Jeff helps higher education institutions and public sector organizations align their cybersecurity posture with institutional goals, compliance mandates, and available funding pathways — including SLCGP, E-Rate, HEERF, and CISA-aligned grant initiatives. He works directly with CISOs, CIOs, IT directors, and procurement leaders across the EDUCAUSE community to design and deploy autonomous, AI-powered security architectures that scale.

HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERTISE

Jeff has advised more than 100 colleges and universities on cybersecurity strategy, endpoint protection, Zero Trust architecture, and compliance-driven security deployments. He understands the unique challenges facing higher education IT leaders: open network environments, diverse device ecosystems, research data protection, FERPA and HIPAA compliance, and the pressure to do more with constrained budgets.

Jeff's work with the EDUCAUSE community is grounded in practical outcomes. He helps institutions navigate the full lifecycle of a cybersecurity initiative — from initial risk assessment and architecture design through procurement, implementation, and compliance reporting. His familiarity with EDUCAUSE frameworks, shared governance models, and the federal funding landscape makes him a trusted partner for IT leadership at institutions of every size and Carnegie Classification.

Key areas of focus for higher education clients include:

•  Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR) across distributed campus environments

•  Zero Trust architecture and identity-based access management

•  FERPA, HIPAA, and CMMC compliance alignment

•  Research network protection and sensitive data governance

•  Leveraging HEERF, E-Rate, and federal grant funding for cybersecurity investments

•  Shadow AI discovery and governance in higher education environments

Generative AI tools are already inside higher education networks — used daily by students, faculty, and staff without institutional visibility, policy, or protection. Sensitive research data, student records, health information, and proprietary academic work are being shared with AI systems that institutions have never vetted or approved. Jeff helps colleges and universities surface this Shadow AI risk — identifying every AI tool, browser extension, and API in active use across campus — and build governance frameworks that balance academic innovation with data protection, compliance, and institutional accountability. For EDUCAUSE members navigating AI policy, FERPA obligations, and shared governance, this is one of the most pressing and underaddressed challenges in higher education IT today.