In an exclusive video interview, Ali Haghjoo, the founder and former CEO of Hall Research; Ilya Khayn, the former CEO of Atlona; and Ken Eagle, the current CEO of Hall Research, discuss past successes and how leadership, mentorship, and legacy interact as one generation passes the torch to the next.

Zach Lewis, chief information and security officer for the University of Health Sciences Pharmacy, said a layered backup strategy allowed the university to recover from a ransomware attack by the LockBit group, which demanded $1.25 million. Lewis said tertiary backups stored in the cloud were not tied to the university's normal accounts, which was key to recovery. "The best recommendation is to have three tiers, which is what we did. But also having one of those tiers be fully separate from your environment," Lewis said. "We want a backup solution that's not tied to our network or our user accounts."

Retention in online education relies heavily on emotional connections, not just academic performance, according to Amy Winger of the University of Arizona Global Campus. "Online students who feel connected to their instructors and peers are more likely to stay engaged and complete their courses," Winger writes and offers several strategies to foster a sense of belonging, including personalized communication, interactive activities and prompt feedback.

AI-driven threats have accelerated the pace and complexity of cyberattacks targeting higher education, as demonstrated by the recent Canvas incident. Experts at Instructure noted that traditional security practices are being outpaced by AI-powered attacks, making it easier and cheaper for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities. The Canvas breach highlighted the need for faster implementation of advanced security measures to keep up with the evolving threat landscape.