Cybersecurity experts warned that the next major higher-education data breach is likely to begin outside campus IT networks, driven by third-party vendors and supply-chain access. James Lee of the Identity Theft Resource Center argued that universities’ growing web of learning management systems and cloud services increases risk exposure as institutions add more external dependencies. Lee noted that attackers increasingly target the weakest shared link across institutions rather than attempting to hit each campus directly. He cited how prior incidents—including the Canvas breach that exposed large volumes of student data—illustrate the scale and cascading impact possible when vendors serve many universities. The analysis also pointed to related vendor-targeting, including a reported vulnerability in an Oracle program tied to human resources, payroll, and student records, raising the risk of broader institutional compromise. For institutional leaders, the message is governance-first: cabinet-level attention to cybersecurity practices in budgeting, procurement, and due diligence—not just technical tools and training—is positioned as the most urgent defense.