Episodes

As Solution providers (MSPs), a security first mindset can at times be difficult. We know that our responsibilities to our staff and clients is about reducing the probability of being an easy target. Cybersecurity isn't easy but it get's easier when you do it with others. Chad Holstead and I discuss what it means to be part of an integrator group that has agreed upon a set of standards or controls to improve their security posture.

As we recover from a week in Chicago with our colleagues and friends I thought we should take a minute to recount some of the highlights. I sit down with Lenny Giller of Reliable Technology Services to get his perspective on MSP-Ignite Pre-day and some of the tracks we had an opportunity to attend. I think clearly the message is to get involved with CompTIA ISAO, get involved with the community and share with each other lessons learned. Cybersecurity is one step at a time.

The role of an MSP as trusted advisor or vCIO has evolved over the years and more recently it seems the added responsibility of security officer is added to the mix. In my conversation with Craig Buesing who is the CISO to the Secretary of State of Colorado, we spent a lot of time talking about cybersecurity is a collaboration. You can't do it by yourself and it is the collaboration and knowledge sharing that makes us all more secure.

One week until ChannelCon and MSP-Ignite Pre-day. This week we have Dave Sobel, "Host of the Business of Tech Podcast." While Dave and I have been known to go down a few rabbit holes in past conversations, we manage in this episode to focus on three main points: Cyber Tax is a real thing and should be openly discussed with your clients, Tech Debt is a challenge for both vendors and MSPs, and victim blaming doesn't change what has happened.

Table top exercises, Security Awareness Training, and vulnerability management are all ways that we look to improve our security posture. Join me as I talk to Kevin Ireland of Hack The Box regarding teaching your team to participate in red team exercises.

ChannelCon is right around the corner and we are still discussing the culture shift to a cybersecurity first mindset. I sit down with Joshua Smith of Varonis to talk about how culture shift and doing the right thing are same problem different scale. Whether you are a vendor or an MSP it still comes down to People, Process and Product (technology). We step you through four key steps to begin the shift within your organization.

With the theme of, "Doing the right thing," on our show I had the unique opportunity to sit down with Harry Brelsford to talk about the need for cybersecurity in the Cannabis dispensary vertical. While this is a very specific niche and is definitely not as mature as many other verticals it was an eye opener for me and I hope you will find opportunity for strength and maturity in cybersecurity. Harry very neatly breaks down security into three categories that really helps give perspective on area...

As we continue our discussion around "Doing the right thing", I sit down with Eric Hanson of Inland Productivity to specifically discuss 2FA. There are so many layers in any security stack but there always seems to be a lot to talk about when it turns to 2FA. Plenty of humor included in this episode!

When doing the right thing could have turned out so different. I sit down with Jessica Millhiser of Systems Gal to discuss a recent event with one of her clients that could have turned out very differently. Business Operations is her specialty and what we found in our conversation is that if you aren't weaving cybersecurity into your business processes you are just asking for a breach.

As we continue the discussion surrounding,"Do The Right Thing" it was brought to my attention that I had something in a town hall that an MSP disagreed with. Join me as I sit down with Matt Horning of BlueTree Technology as we sort out our disagreement and align on a cybersecurity minimum that we agree is necessary for all of our clients.

When you travel, especially when you fly, you see the statement plastered everywhere, "If you see something say something." You are told not to watch someone else's bags etc. Well, when it comes to cybersecurity is it really any different? Eric Hanson and I go through an exercise that looks at this concept applied to cybersecurity. Inconvenience, obstacles, or other anomalies if ignored allow us to continue to be efficient and get our jobs done. How do we balance and appropriately call out conce...

I have often wondered if we tend to lean towards insurance instead of doing a better job of prevention and protection because it just costs too much. I sit down with Ismael (Izzy) Amado of IT Ninjas to prove how affordable much of cybersecurity really is. Culture change is hard but at the root of cybersecurity, success is people and process. If you are struggling with getting clients or your own employees to take cybersecurity seriously then this episode might just help you push through.

With insurance renewals coming for many school districts in July are you able to satisfy the questionnaires? There might be a few curveballs in this conversation. I sit down with Corey Munson of PC Matic to talk about some of the changes that are happening in the space. New requirements that now include specific vendors. New vendors to choose from, limit caps, etc. are all impacting the ability of Tech Directors to successfully answer all the questions.

Ever had a client say, "I thought you were already doing that?" I recently had a challenge with a vendor product that I had provided an audit for the client to check the security controls and ensure the client had it optimized. The questions I ask Jim Harryman of Kinetic Technology Group are all around how to clearly understand what we are responsible for whether it is with our vendors or clients.

What should we talk about this week? I have been back and forth with topics recently that involve getting started with cybersecurity and have moved into vendor management and other areas of focus that all revolve around one key theme... Reducing risks and protecting ourselves and our clients. Join me as I discuss with Charles Love of Showtech Solutions, configurations and implementation of products and services. Where does the responsibility of vendor stop and MSP responsibilities kick in. What ...

We don't know what will happen tomorrow or the next day. We do however have responsibilities to our clients and our employees and there are things we can do to plan for events that we don't have control over. Join me with Steve Alexander of MSP-Ignite as we discuss how to plan so we don't end up in the knee-jerk scenario that so often is the first response.

As MSPs you are all dealing with managing or providing support services that involve working with 3rd party vendors. In this coversation Eric Hanson and I discuss the challenges of vendors where those who have authority to make decisions on critical infrastructure leave or are no longer in the role that would required them to manage that vendor relationship. This is not a new topic but is often an avoided topic as it pertains to MSPs working with Internet, cell phone and other vendors in support...

Endless topics to discuss and yet we still find ourselves talking about many of the foundational things we should all be doing in our businesses. We can only be accountable for our own actions regardless of the decisions of our vendors or our peers. Who are the vendors I work with today and what happens if they are gone tomorrow? This and many other questions are discussed with Jim Harryman of Kinetic Technology Group. As we evaluate our vendors and the services we offer we discuss having a pred...

We all struggle with different areas of cybersecurity and there is no perfect solution. That being said we shouldn't get paralysis analysis either, it isn't new and it isn't going away. Most of us started implementing cybersecurity tools and services long before MSSPs existed and have in many cases satisfying controls of the different frameworks anywhere from 10% to 60% and didn't even know it. Join Jim Harryman of Kinetic Technology Group as we navigate areas in which MSPs can continue to impro...

The conversations and requests coming from MSPs is still about how to get started. Hopefully, this conversation will help you find your path. Join me as Charles Love and I navigate the getting started in Cybersecurity. Even if you have already started down the path of improving your cybersecurity posture there is always room to improve.

Whether it is a small municipality, a school district, or even your local fire department, there is always a need for 3rd party resources. I sit down with Corey Munson of PCMatic to talk specifically about how MSPs can provide a huge benefit to small government entities. We aren't talking about addressing the basic print or internet connectivity issues but more about the challenges we all face in cybersecurity. Whether it is the mayor of a small town in rural Iowa or the one computer at city hal...

Last week was CompTIA's Communities and Councils Forums and I thought who better to bring on to the podcast than Wayne Selk the new VP of CompTIA's ISAO. Join us as we break down the differences between ISACs and ISAOs and how MSPs can take advantage of what these different entities have to offer as we navigate cybersecurity.

I sit down with Stelios Valivonis of onShore Security to talk about cybersecurity and the need for dedicated leadership. People, Process, and Procedures are critical to any organizations quest to improve their cybersecurity posture. Stel and I step through some scenarios that we have seen together and some ideas on how to succeed with client resistance to change.

There is no shortage of questions coming from Cyber Insurance providers that put an MSP in a difficult position to answer the questions truthfully and the intent of the questions. In this episode, I sit down with Aaron Frazier of American Technology Specialists to discuss how to approach this complex topic with clients and prospects to help satisfy specific questions through enabling technologies—as always, talking to Aaron with ATS is enlightening.