Agentic Defense and the Future of Higher Education Security

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Jon Ford, Head of State, Local and Education Market for Service Delivery, Cyber Security Solutions, and Election Cybersecurity at Google Public Sector.The session explored how higher education institutions were facing unprecedented challenges, from operational pressures and enrollment concerns to rising data security threats and the growing demand for AI integration. Jon Ford examined how universities could respond by consolidating their technology stacks to do more with less while strengthening institutional resilience.This conversation focused on how institutions could improve security, reduce costs, and save IT effort through more streamlined infrastructure. The session highlighted approaches for implementing zero-trust security models that reduced IT team workloads through automation and enhanced visibility, while also empowering security teams to rapidly detect, investigate, and respond to threats using AI-driven platforms.Panelists explored methods for safeguarding sensitive student records and research assets through both cloud-based and air-gapped, on-premises tools. At its core, this session examined how agentic defense and AI-powered security strategies could help higher education institutions modernize their cybersecurity posture, protect critical systems, and build more secure, future-ready campuses.