{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Small College America","title":"Cybersecurity, AI, and the Future of Small Colleges with Irv Bruckstein","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1813,"description":"Kent Barnds: “Welcome to Small College America, a podcast dedicated to exploring the role and value of small colleges in the higher education landscape. I’m Kent Barnds, and I’m joined by my co-host, Dean Hoke.”Dean: Joining us today is Irving “Irv” Bruckstein, a transformational technology executive with more than three decades of experience across higher education, enterprise IT, and cybersecurity. He most recently served as Chief Information Officer at Washington College, where he rebuilt IT operations following a ransomware incident, modernized infrastructure, and led major initiatives in cybersecurity, digital transformation, and online learning.Irv is now the incoming CEO of CyberAI Group, where he is focused on advancing AI-driven cybersecurity solutions and helping organizations strengthen resilience in an evolving threat landscape. Known for building high-performing teams and aligning technology with strategic outcomes, he brings a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to leadership. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics and an M.S. in Cybersecurity from Hofstra University’s DeMatteis School of Engineering. Irv, welcome to Small College America. Question 1: From Big Campuses to Small CollegesKent: Irv, your career includes some of the largest institutions in the country — Columbia University, NYU, where you helped build an entire campus from the ground up in Abu Dhabi. At some point you made a deliberate move toward smaller colleges. What drew you in that direction, and what surprised you most when you got there?Follow-ups:•      What can a small college CIO do that a large university CIO simply can’t?Question 2: Walking Into the AftermathDean: Irv, when you arrived at Washington College in January 2024, the institution was still dealing with the fallout of a serious ransomware attack that had occurred about a year earlier. You were essentially brought in to rebuild. Walk us through what you found when you got there, and how you approached...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/znlC7CX69qE7r5pUJE2XJslxrx-kQRnGqXvS0RvbqbM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kMjAw/ZTk5Nzg4NDA4ODlj/NjI1MzgwOTJjYTY5/MmUzYi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}