This event has now passed.
We had a brilliant morning at the UCISA 26 Leadership Summit. Now that the summit has concluded, we want to extend a massive thank you to all the Higher Education digital leaders, directors, and practitioners who joined us for the leadership panel and stopped by Stands 11 & 12 for high-impact networking and peer-to-peer discussion. Hearing such honest, refreshing perspectives on the daily realities and tight budgets institutions face right now was a powerful reminder that our greatest strength in the education sector is collaboration.
The panel discussion highlighted three core themes that define our focus on driving practical, human-led security operations:
-
Collaboration is no longer optional: Sharing threat intelligence, technical expertise, and defensive strategies across the wider sector is the only viable way to stay ahead of sophisticated adversaries.
-
People over technology: True institutional resilience is built on establishing a strong security culture just as much as it relies on the physical tools we deploy.
-
Turning insight into action: The most critical challenge—and opportunity - is moving beyond simply identifying a risk on a dashboard to actively and proactively managing it.
The engagement at our stand was fantastic, and it is clear that we are all driven by the same baseline goal: to make tomorrow better than yesterday. If you missed out on connecting with us at the summit, we have a packed calendar of exclusive roundtables, interactive summits, and events planned throughout 2026. Be sure to keep an eye on our main events page so you can secure your place at the next table.
Event Gallery
Snapshots of the Acumen team live from the UCISA 26 Leadership Summit.
Shaping Tomorrow Together: Acumen Cyber at UCISA26
-
Date: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
-
Location: UCISA26 Leadership Summit Venue
-
Sponsorship: Platinum Sponsor
-
Cost: Registration required (Criteria applies)
Overview
Digital transformation across the public sector is accelerating at a breakneck pace, but so is the sophistication of the threat landscape. For Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) institutions, maintaining operational resilience isn't just an IT target—it is non-negotiable. The sector continues to operate in a challenging period of sustained change, forcing leadership teams to ask a critical question: Is Higher Education resilience keeping pace with escalating threats?
As a proud Platinum Sponsor of the UCISA26 Leadership Summit, Acumen Cyber is joining digital leaders, IT professionals, and change-makers to focus on inspiring and enabling outstanding leadership in IT. We are there to move past the industry buzzwords and discuss how public institutions can build practical, scalable, and human-led cyber defences.
Why Attend UCISA26?
The UCISA Leadership Summit delivers the premier gathering for digital leaders, IT professionals, and change-makers in higher and further education. By attending, you will:
-
Adopt Best Practices: Seek out proven strategies from both within and outside the sector to ensure your community has the agility and creativity needed to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
-
Gain Actionable Strategies: Dive into the latest trends and cutting-edge insights to equip your institution against modern, complex threat vectors.
-
Network with Industry Peers: Access a unique platform designed to share experiences, exchange ideas, and build lasting professional relationships in an open, collaborative, and safe environment.
Don't Miss Our Featured Session
The Leadership Panel: Budget Constraints vs. Rising Cyber-Sophistication
-
Date: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
-
Panelists: Acumen Cyber, Brian Henderson (Hefestis), Claire Taylor (Edinburgh Napier University), and Fraser Muir (Heriot-Watt University).
The Focus: Navigating the evolving threat landscape while operating within tight, compressed institutional budgets. In an era of expanding adversary capability, trying to run a self-managed security operation can leave massive blind spots. This session will explore how forward-thinking institutions can bridge the gap between limited funding and rising cyber-sophistication through collaborative, shared, and people-centric security models. We will demonstrate how pooling regional and sector-wide expertise allows organisations to continuously validate their security controls without adding operational friction.
Who is the Event For?
UCISA26 is specifically designed for digital leaders and change-makers across the HE and FE sectors, including:
-
CIOs, CISOs, and IT Directors
-
Senior executives and institutional decision-makers
-
Network managers and infrastructure teams
-
ICT practitioners, system architects, and university change-makers
Meet the Acumen Team at Stands 11 & 12
Beyond the main stage panel, our team will be stationed at Stands 11 & 12 throughout the entire event, where we are partnering alongside Academia.
We believe that the best security partnerships are built on human collaboration, not automated black boxes. Stop by our stand to:
-
Discuss Your Specific Challenges: Talk directly to our team about the distinct security and risk hurdles your institution is currently facing.
-
Explore Engineer-Led Security: Learn how our 24/7 CREST-accredited Security Operations Centre (SOC) gives your team direct access to accredited cyber defence engineers rather than rigid ticketing systems.
-
Turn Threat Data into Actionable Defence: Discover how continuous threat validation can strengthen your institutional defence and help move from a reactive security posture to a highly resilient one.
Celebrating Sector Excellence
The UCISA Awards will once more take place during the conference. As you engage with colleagues across the summit, keep in mind the exceptional people and projects that have driven innovation and progress across the UCISA community, as there will be plenty of milestone achievements to celebrate during the ceremony.
Secure Your Place
The UCISA Leadership Summit provides a transformative experience that no forward-thinking digital leader can afford to miss. Spaces for this cornerstone event are limited, and advanced booking is required. Ensure your team has a seat at the table to help shape a more secure, resilient tomorrow for our public institutions.