Jay James is the Cybersecurity Operations Manager at Auburn University, where he established and leads the university's Security Operations Center — building the program from the ground up to deliver enterprise-grade threat detection, incident response, and risk management across a complex higher education environment.
With over a decade of progressive experience spanning data loss prevention, incident response, and security operations leadership, Jay brings a systems-oriented approach to operationalizing security at scale. His work sits at the intersection of technology, governance, and institutional risk — making him natural voice at the intersection of public sector mission and modern security operations.
Jay was honored as the ISC2 Mid-Career Professional of the Year for the Americas (2023) and received an EDUCAUSE National Leadership Award — recognition of both his technical contributions and his commitment to advancing the profession. He has spoken at national conferences including EDUCAUSE and SANS, and his perspectives on higher education cybersecurity have been featured in Tech & Learning Magazine.
He holds an MS in IT/Cybersecurity from the Florida Institute of Technology and an MBA and Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management from Auburn University. His certifications include CISSP, PMP, GIAC Security Leadership (GSLC), and GIAC Security Operations Manager (GSOM).