MSP 1337 | Cybersecurity Education and Security Guidance

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 areas to improve as we navigate our cybersecurity journey.

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 concerns or red flags while still doing our jobs?

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 is an appropriately secured implementation of O365 or really any product or service that your clients need and you have been tasked with implementing and managing.  We don't go down any rabbit holes on this one!

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.