Apr 28, 2026
In this episode of the Campus Technology Insider Podcast, Campus Technology Editor-in-Chief Rhea Kelly hosts Ed Skoudis, president of the SANS Technology Institute, to discuss how AI is reshaping cybersecurity and what it means for higher education. Skoudis says AI is now driving all five top emerging attack trends highlighted in SANS’s RSAC keynote: increased zero-day exploits, expanded supply-chain risk, growing complexity in operational technology attacks, risks of irresponsible AI use in digital forensics and incident response, and the need to use AI defensively to keep pace with attackers’ speed. He explains why higher ed is harder to defend due to diverse, open, cutting-edge environments and constrained budgets, and he recommends accelerated patching, AI-assisted incident response, rapid decision-making teams, frequent tabletop exercises, threat intelligence monitoring, and flexible AI workflows that can swap models as tools change.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:29 Ed Skoudis Background
01:00 Steampunk Office Tour
02:24 Antiques Meet IoT
03:25 AI Drives Attack Trends
05:01 Higher Ed Under Fire
05:49 Five AI Shaped Attacks
09:51 Lessons from Finance
12:05 Speeding Up Response
15:32 Training for AI Defense
18:00 AI Toolkit and Model Flexibility
22:01 Budget Priorities Patching First
25:39 Crystal Ball Rough Years Ahead
29:53 Zero Vulnerabilities Vision
31:22 Prepare with AI Strategy
34:16 Closing and Where to Listen
Resource links:
- SANS Technology Institute
- SANS Institute's Top 5 Most Dangerous New Attack Techniques
- SANS free cybersecurity resources
- Internet Storm Center
Music: Mixkit
Duration: 35 minutes