Founder & Speaker
Nearly three decades supporting higher education technology and security programs: campus CISO roles at major research universities, leadership of one of the sector's earliest managed security services, and a field CISO role on the vendor side. Now founder of CampusCISO®.
Nearly 30 years in higher education technology and security
Nearly 20 years in information security leadership
Ran managed security for dozens of campuses
About Chris
Chris Schreiber built CampusCISO based on insights gained over decades of higher education leadership: teams spend too much time on busywork, the checklists and audits that crowd out the handful of projects that would significantly strengthen security. Chris is aggressive about cutting through the noise, helping CIOs and CISOs focus on the work that matters most.
“Cybersecurity doesn't have to be as hard as we sometimes make it.”
That belief comes from nearly three decades in higher education technology and security: years as a CISO running campus security programs at major research universities, years on the vendor side building and delivering services to hundreds of institutions, and now founding a practice built to strengthen how institutions approach planning for cyber resilience. He helps campus leaders cut through hype to see where vendors fit in their portfolios, drawing on years spent working both sides of the purchasing process.
His fascination with new technology makes him a builder, not just an advisor. Chris created the Cyber Heat Map® methodology, wrote the CampusCISO IT Policy Framework, and continues to develop the methodologies, benchmarking data, and open guidance higher education leaders need. His approach is to build repeatable systems that extend the impact of each engagement: structured assessments backed by peer data from hundreds of institutions, so every engagement builds on what came before.
Speaking
Chris speaks to higher education audiences on cutting through complexity and building cyber resilience that boards and budgets can actually support. Direct, vendor-neutral, and grounded in real campus experience.
Seen at
The Chronicle of Higher Education
EDUCAUSE
Midwestern Higher Education Compact
WACUBO
University Business
EdTech Magazine
TOPIC 01
Building a defensible cyber roadmap on a lean budget: from spreadsheets to a living plan leaders understand
TOPIC 02
Communicating cyber strategy to presidents and boards
TOPIC 03
Mapping and simplifying the cybersecurity vendor portfolio
TOPIC 04
Designing AI-augmented workflows that keep expert judgment in the loop
TOPIC 05
Early wins and focus for new CISOs and CIOs
Have a different theme in mind?
Chris tailors keynotes, workshops, and panels to your audience and program.
Career
Before founding CampusCISO in 2021, Chris held CISO roles at major research universities, led one of higher education's earliest managed security services, and worked the vendor side as a field CISO. That range is why he can weigh vendor claims, board expectations, and campus constraints together, and turn them into a workable plan with campus leaders.
The practice
CampusCISO
Founder
Since 2021
Vendor side
FireEye / Mandiant
Field CISO for higher education and public sector
now parts of Trellix and Google Cloud
Managed services
SunGard Higher Education
General Manager, security program
now Ellucian; built and ran one of higher education's earliest managed security services, serving dozens of colleges and universities
CISO
University of Chicago
Chief Information Security Officer
CISO
University of Arizona
Chief Information Security Officer
CISO
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Chief Information Security Officer
Education
Master's Certificate in Project Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.S. in Business Administration, Central Michigan University
Selected talks & published content
Talks & Workshops
The Cyber-Smart Campus: Defending Data in the AI Era
Embracing Cyber Resilience: Beyond Castles and Moats
Cyber and Data Security on Comprehensive, Doctoral, and Research Campuses
Moving Cybersecurity from 'Unfunded Mandate' to Strategic Advantage
Cybersecurity Resilience Planning: A Hands-On Workshop
Building Resiliency in Higher Ed Cybersecurity Programs
Community Resilience: Working Together to Improve Cybersecurity
Insights from Chris
Available for keynotes and workshops for higher education audiences. Or start with a $399 Diagnostic to put the same experience to work strengthening your own program.