KnowTechTalk

It's now 2021 and there are 7.8 billion people on the planet. The largest growing culture in the world is that of the internet user.

There are now 4.6 billion of us communicating online with each other and with organizations daily. That's 59% of the global population are active internet users.

The #1 problem of any business, and organization, no matter industry, size, or geographical location is untrained people.

Untrained employees are the biggest threat in cyber security. That's right. Regardless of industry, company size or geographic location, untrained people are your greatest risk.

Joining Barb Paluszkiewicz‏ for this episode of #KNOWTECHTALK is Bruce McCully, Chief Security Officer of Galactic Advisors. Bruce is committed to educating those outside the IT industry on security threats and best practices.

00:00 - 03:31 Barb's Introduction

03:32 - 04:49 Meet Bruce McCully

04:50 - 17:07 How do you avoid ransomware?

17:08 - 21:10 Bruce's recommendations for ensuring an email is legitimate.

21:11 - 26:25 Bruce's recommendations for people working from home to stay safe.

26:26 - 30:08 What should you be asking your IT service providers to verify you're in good hands?

30:09 - 31:23 Barb's extro

The work paradigm is changing. The Financial Post reports that Tim Hortons sales are struggling as there is no sign of customers returning to their morning commute. When was the last time you ordered a coffee and bagel at 6am to be delivered to your house?

As a business owner today, you see that SHIFT is happening. This means new tools, new norms, and new behaviours need to be addressed to be competitive and successful.

You need to re-evaluated the whole WFH model and how your digital transformation is impacting your business, your shareholders, your employees and think about how to stay competitive. WFH goes far beyond giving your employees a laptop and reminding them to check in every once in a while.

This podcast is perfect for you if you are looking for strategies on how to transform your business successfully during this 2020 shift.

Joining Barb Paluszkiewicz is Dave Sobel of MSP Radio to shed some light on the difference between "work from home" and having a business designed beyond the walls of physical space.

00:00 - 01:47Barb's Intro

01:48 - 02:15Introducing Dave Sobel of MSP Radio

02:16 - 03:51What has Dave been seeing in the workplace regarding this digital transformation?

03:52 - 04:34Digital parity explained

04:35 - 08:16What trends are being employed by companies to prevent WFH burnout?

08:17 - 10:24No meeting Thursday, virtual commutes and other tips

10:25 - 13:29Fear as a motivator

13:30 - 16:05What should companies be focused on as they shift to this new paradigm?

16:06 - 19:15What's trending right now for employees who are working from home, both positive and negative?

19:16 - 19:50What is the most important thing Dave Sobel has ever learned?

19:51 - 21:05Barb's Extro

Guest: Dave Sobel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesobel/

The National Cyber Security Alliance reports that 1 in 5 small businesses have been victims of cyber crime in the last year and that number is growing rapidly as more businesses utilize cloud computing, mobile devices, and store more information online.

Here's what you should consider when choosing vendors/ suppliers to work with. Remember you will be sharing confidential information. This data may be intellectual property, your customer information, your financials, or your employee records.

If you are being cyber smart, if you are protecting your computers, and networks, and programs and data from unintended and unauthorized access, but how do you know the companies you work with are doing the same? How do you make sure your suppliers are securing their computers? What are the things you need to consider to avoid being a victim of a cyber attack if there is a breach within your supply chain?

More and more business are requesting cybersecurity questionnaires to be completed prior to engagement. This is to determine if their data & information is safe in another businesses IT environment.

Managed Service Providers play an important role in keeping your company's information safe. Choosing one to meet your cybersecurity needs is not an easy task. So this podcast is perfect for you if you are interested in what you should look for when you considering outsourcing all or portion of you Information technology management.

So joining Barb in this episode are Nancy Hammervik and Miles Jobgen from the Computing Technology Industry Association, aka CompTIA to talk about Trustmark certifications surrounding cyber security.

00:00 - 02:29Barb's intro

02:30 - 05:12Introducing Nancy, Miles and CompTia

05:12 - 09:57What is a security trust mark certification?

09:58 - 11:55 Do you believe this lends credibility to managed service providers?

11:56 - 20:10 Any concerns with people who work with service providers who have expressed zero interest in having a trust mark certification?

20:11 - 24:26 Is it possible to fail your trust mark certification?

24:27 - 25:32 How does a company who outsourced their IT benefit from a company that has a trustmark certification?

25:33 - 28:23 What is the most important thing you have ever learned?

28:24 - 29:45 Barb's extro

In this episode of Know Tech Talk, learn the secrets to choosing a great computer company. What to look for, and what to avoid. What specific questions should get answered before you sign up to make sure you don't get ripped off because as the market tightens up, and more and more people get laid off, they are going to be starting their own little businesses. Maybe they are great techs, maybe they're hobbyists, how can you tell?

How can you tell if your IT service provider is structured or if they are shooting from the hip?

Joining Barb Paluszkiewicz is Nigel Moore, founder of "The Tech Tribe"o talk about what's important when choosing an IT service provider.

00:00 - 01:57 Barb's Intro

01:58 - 02:54 Meet Nigel Moore

02:55 - 05:00 If someone was brand new to outsourcing their IT, what question should they ask to make sure that the IT Service provider they have chosen has a structured approach to service and delivery as opposed to winging it?

05:01 - 08:39 Learn about the structure and modernness of their technologies

08:40 - 10:35 What do you recommend young techs do when they get in over their head?

10:36 - 14:31 A good question for someone to ask their future IT service provider is, "How do we start? How do we onboard?"

14:32 - 17:59 The danger of being a "guru"

18:00 - 19:40 Tribal elders

19:41 - 23:18 The importance of IT service providers to categorize clients vs. customized pricing.

23:19 - 29:50 Recap of questions to ask.

29:51 - 31:55 The most important thing Nigel ever learned.

31:55 - 33:10 Barb's Outro

It seems that IT service and support is the subject of much confusion. In fact, many people and businesses have many misconceptions about outsourcing their IT.

To clarify things, I decided to reach out to my friend Willie Kerns, President and Owner of Smartpath Technologies, to discuss what you need to know when you outsource your IT.

00:00 - 01:33 Barb's Introduction

01:34 - 02:49 Meet Willie Kerns

02:50 - 05:51 What do you say when someone says "my computer network doesn't need regular monitoring and maintenance"?

05:52 - 09:25 What do you say when someone says "I got a guy. My neighbour works in IT for a big company and he takes care of my IT on the side, after hours"?

09:26 - 17:29 What do you say when someone says "all computer technicians are created equal. Your best option will be the lowest price"?

17:30 - 19:52 What do you say when someone says "an honest computer support company should be able to give you a quote over the phone"?

19:53 - 22:52 Do you do a network assessment before taking over an account?

22:53 - 31:44 Questions people should ask when shopping for an IT company... Do they answer their phones live? When they offer a 'flat rate monthly fee' is it truly flat rate or are their 'gotchas' hidden in the fine print? What are the contract terms? Start up and set up fees? What are their standard procedures for them to provide you with written, network documentation detailing software licenses, hardware inventory, cloud locations, user information, etc or are they the only person that knows? Are they insured? Do they have adequate errors and omission insurance? Do they have references?

31:45 - 33:33 What is the most important thing you've ever learned?

33:34 - 34:40 Barb's extro

There's a good chance that MOST of the software applications you use every day are SaaS applications, or 'software as a service'. In other words, you don't have to install them on your server or computer, you simply access it as a pay as you go model for only the licenses, space and features that you use. This gives you the ability to access highly sophisticated software and functionality at a fraction of the cost and without long term commitments.

With just a username, password, and internet access you have the ability to access highly sophisticated software and take advantage of all its functionality.

With the recent introduction of Windows Virtual Desktop, which is sometimes called desktop as a service, it is enabling businesses to lower their costs and greatly improve the ability for remote workers to connect and work "in the cloud".

Now companies can host their applications, data, email and other functions "in the cloud" that simply means it is stored offsite a highly secure, high availability "utility" company that has far more power and resources that you could ever logically have onsite as a small business.

So with me here today is Joseph Landes from Nerdio C Suite, to let us know what the benefits of a windows virtual desktop are, and if cloud computing is right for your business.

00:00 - 02:44

Barb's introduction

02:45- 04:15

Meet Joseph Landes

04:16 - 6:22

What is Windows Virtual Desktop, why is it so popular and what are the benefits?

6:23 - 8:15

If you have a Windows Virtual Desktop environment, is it secure?

8:16 - 10:34

If someone is connecting with their personal device, does that device need to be secured as well?

10:35 - 13:06

If a company is considering a move to the cloud, what should you do beforehand?

13:07 - 14:54

Does the size of the company matter when moving to the cloud?

14:55 - 16:00

How long does it take to move to the cloud?

16:01 - 19:01

What's the most important thing Joseph has ever learned?

19:02 - 21:01

Barb's extro

If you have questions about your IT vulnerabilities, or have any questions, call Barb at 905 542 9759 or visit CDNTechnologies.com.

This episode will help protect your business from losing huge sums of money because of a fake email.

Here's The shocking truth about bank fraud on business accounts: Your COMPANY'S business bank account doesn't enjoy the same protections as a personal bank account! For example, if someone social engineers your payment team to transfer money out of your business account, the bank is NOT responsible for getting your money back. Many people think CDIC protects you from fraud; it doesn't. It protects you from bank insolvency, NOT fraud. We call this Business Email Compromise, when fraudsters target a company's payment team impersonating a contractor, supplier, or creditor or even someone in senior management. The email address will APPEAR to closely match a legitimate email or unknowingly an account may have been hacked. The payment team may think the instructions to pay are real and unfortunately act on it, resulting in the transfer of funds.

Business Email Compromise is big business, expected to reach 6 trillion dollars in 2021.

Defend yourself against BEC by following this list:

• Cancel your debit cards; they are the #1 way bank accounts get compromised.
• Have a dedicated PC or tablet for online banking and DON'T use that PC for accessing any other websites, e-mail access or social media sites, or for downloading files and applications.
• Carefully scrutinize all email addresses with payment instructions and make sure they are from the right person
• Verify payment requests and changes to account details using known contact details.
• Establish other communication channels such as phone calls to verify transactions, and 2Factor
• look out for unusual changes in business practices, for example getting requests from someone who is normally not involved in the payment process; or a vendor asking for an account number to be changed
• Sign up for email alerts from your bank whenever a withdrawal over $100 happens.
• Require YOUR signature for any wire transfers.
• Have your money spread out in multiple accounts to minimize the risk.
• Carry Insurance.

Today's episode is with Greg Markell, President and CEO of Ridge Canada Cyber Solutions, a company focused on providing insurance solutions for clients' cyber and privacy needs. Greg is very well versed on the topic of cyber and privacy liability for public and private organizations.

00:00 - 04:32

Barb's introduction

04:33- 07:38

Meet Greg Markell

07:39 - 17:35

If your employee is tricked in turning over millions of dollars are you covered?

17:36 - 34:17

What does a cyber policy cover? What does a fidelity policy cover?

34:18 - 40:49

What do you need to have in place to qualify for a cyber policy coverage?

40:50 - 42:47

What's the most important thing Greg has learned?

42:48 - 46:40

Barb's extro

If you have questions about your IT vulnerabilities, or have any questions, call Barb at 905 542 9759 or visit CDNTechnologies.com.

Back to school planning this year is different with questions around how schools are opening up and the effects on parents jobs and the economy as a whole. The school supply list is a bit different. You might find yourself downloading apps instead of shopping for backpacks and pencils.

For me this reinforces the idea that you need a PLAN B and a positive attitude. You have to plan for the unknown and with virtual school, you might want to make sure your kids don't learn more than what you bargained. As children become more connected online now is great time to teach young kids the basics of digital citizenships and the importance of a positive digital footprint.

This podcast is guaranteed to make you feel great. Some messages in life are timeless. You are kind, you are smart you are important. We're all kids at heart and sometimes I think back to those messages that I got as a child so that I can make and help others make smart, safe and thoughtful decisions.

Today we a have a very special guest who has impacted generations.

• For almost 50 years our guest today has been a motivational speaker for children
• Is a Member of the Order of Canada for "using music and song to entertain and educate his young audience"
• Has a bachelor's degree in economics and psychology
• Dubbed "Mr. Multi-Media" by Billboard Magazine
• In addition to having countless live show's He is the first children's entertainer to headline at the Los Angeles Amphitheater,
• He is a four time recipient of the Parents' Choice Award
• He is a two-time Juno winner
• One of his albums, Happy Feet was named Best Children's Album of the Year by the U.S.A's Entertainment Weekly
• The guy who crawled magically out of that hollow log for 12 seasons and more than 900 episodes in the hit CBC TV show Fred Penner's Place which also ran for four years on the Nickelodeon's Nick Jr and because of that the still receives fan mail to this day from some of the 55 million American viewers he had when the show ran

Joining us today, acclaimed family entertainer, singer/songwriter, composer, actor, writer, author, TV host Fred Penner!

00:00 - 03:20

Barb's introduction

03:21- 03:55

Meet Fred Penner

03:56 - 06:37

How do you start a conversation with a child via screen?

06:38 - 09:59

How do you start a conversation with a child about Covid?

10:00 - 15:42

Kids can sit and watch a tv show or a youtube video for 30 minutes but teachers can't keep their attention for 15 minutes, what's the difference?

15:43 - 22:32

How do you come up with the ideas for your songs? How do you captivate your audience?

22:33 - 24:58

What is the most important thing you've ever learned?

24:59 - 28:40

Barb and Fred chat about Fred's influence

28:41 - 29:52

Barb's Extro

Today we live in a world where on line threat levels are at an all time high. We got spam, adware, trojans, virus, worms, phishing attacks, spyware, keyloggers, Pharming, and rogue security software.

And email has become the most commonly leveraged technology in cyber attacks and data breaches.

Remember when email use was safe and predictable about 5/10 years ago? Wouldn't it be nice to go back in time when email was considered a clean and safe communication tool? Within the last 24 months – email has changed; it's not safe; it's filled with junk and spam.

So what we want to share with you today is, how to to have a quality email box experience. How to determine if that email is real or fake in your inbox.

This podcast is perfect for you if you would like to be able to know how to identify if an email is fake, spoofed, or spam. Imagine, good quality emails in your inbox.

Joining Barb Paluszkiewicz is Mathew Scully from Mail Protector.

00:00 - 02:28Barb's introduction

02:29 - 03:57Meet Matthew Scully

03:58 - 06:40About Mail Protector email encryption

06:41 - 09:07How do you make sure the emails in your inbox are legit?

09:08 - 14:20How does mail protector email filtering differ from hitting ignore or junk?

14:21 - 21:16How do you keep people from emailing secure data via email?

21:17 - 25:32What's the most important thing you've ever learned?

25:33 - 26:08 Barb's extro

As the world starts to open up, many of us are asking important questions about who we are, where we're going, and what changes we'd like to make or keep moving forward.

This episode of Know Tech Talk is perfect for you if you or your business are in reinvention mode, or if you are in re-imaging mode. Imagine where you want to be at this time next year? Or who do you want to be?

Today We have a VERY special guest. A bonafide Rock Star. Meet Kim Mitchell.

00:00 - 03:02Barb's Intro

03:03 - 07:34 You've been in the music industry for a very long time, and have had so many successes. How has technology over the course of your career?

07:35 - 09:33 How is recording an album different today than say 8 album ago's? How is it the same? 09:34 - 11:24 There are only 12 notes so how do you keep your secret formula safe during the research and development stage

11:25 - 13:54 How do you make sure your material isn't breached – released without your consent intentionally or accidentally?

13:55 - 22:19 How have you changed? You don't look the same. I don't think people recognize you without your long hair and OPP hat.

22:20 - 29:00 Kim discusses his new single "Wishes".

29:01 - 34:45 Who do you wish to touch with your new album?

34:46 - 36:16 Barb's Extro