Protected (by Corsair)

Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: https://www.corsaircms.com/risk-assessment

Your employees could be sharing confidential business information with AI tools without you even knowing it. In this episode of Protected by Corsair USA, Rick Valdez and Brian Gilchrist explain the hidden cybersecurity risks of workplace AI, what "shadow AI" means for small businesses, and why tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Claude require proper security oversight. Discover how to protect sensitive company data without preventing employees from taking advantage of AI.

In this episode:

- What is shadow AI, and why is it a cybersecurity risk? 

- Are employees sharing confidential company data with ChatGPT? 

- What's the difference between consumer and enterprise AI tools? 

- Is Microsoft Copilot automatically secure for businesses? 

- What should your company's AI security policy include? 

- How can businesses use AI safely without restricting productivity?

Chapters:

(0:00) AI and Cybersecurity for Businesses 

(0:45) How Employees Are Using AI at Work 

(1:46) ChatGPT and Confidential Business Data 

(2:25) What Is Shadow AI? 

(3:11) Why Banning AI Doesn't Work 

(3:27) Consumer vs. Enterprise AI Security 

(4:21) Is Microsoft Copilot Secure? 

(4:56) Creating an AI Security Policy 

(5:42) ChatGPT and Customer Privacy Risks 

(6:11) AI Policies and Employee Training 

(6:38) AI in Everyday Business Software 

(7:14) AI Cybersecurity Risk Assessment 

(7:58) Next: AI Agents and Security Risks

About Rick

Rick Valdez is the founder of Corsair USA, an Austin-based IT and cybersecurity company helping small and mid-sized businesses strengthen cybersecurity, manage technology, and reduce operational risk. With more than 30 years of experience spanning technology, business consulting, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations, Rick brings a practical, business-first approach to IT and cybersecurity. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas and is committed to supporting and strengthening the Central Texas business community.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickvaldez/

About Brian

Brian Gilchrist is Partner and Vice President of Business Development at Corsair USA, where he works with businesses to identify technology needs, strengthen cybersecurity, and make smarter decisions about their IT investments. With a focus on building strong client relationships and understanding the challenges businesses face, Brian helps organizations evaluate their technology and security needs from a practical, business-first perspective.

At Corsair USA, he works alongside the team to help small and mid-sized businesses reduce risk, improve operations, and get greater value from their technology.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gilchrist-b807b371/

About Corsair USA

Corsair USA helps small and mid-sized businesses better understand cybersecurity, managed IT services, technology risk, and the decisions that can help protect their operations, employees, and reputation. If you're a business owner in the Austin area and aren't sure whether you're getting the right level of IT support and cybersecurity protection, Corsair USA offers a complimentary cybersecurity assessment.

Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: Rick, Brian and the team at Corsair USA offer a free cybersecurity risk assessment. The assessment identifies vulnerabilities, missing protections, and areas of exposure before an attack occurs: https://www.corsaircms.com/risk-assessment

Having an IT provider doesn’t necessarily mean your business is protected from cyber threats. In this episode of Protected by Corsair USA, Rick Valdez and Brian Gilchrist explain the differences between break-fix IT support, managed IT services (MSP), and managed security services (MSSP), plus five questions every business owner should ask to determine whether their IT provider is actually reducing risk and delivering value.

In this episode:

- What is break-fix IT support? 

- What does a managed service provider (MSP) do? 

- What is a managed security services provider (MSSP)? 

- Does having an IT company mean your business is profetected from cyberattacks? 

- What should you ask your current IT provider? 

Chapters:

(0:00) IT Support and Cybersecurity for Small Businesses 

(1:01) Break-Fix IT Support Explained 

(1:51) Managed IT Services (MSP) Explained 

(2:32) MSP vs. Cybersecurity Protection 

(3:14) Managed Security Services (MSSP) Explained 

(3:57) Break-Fix vs. MSP vs. MSSP 

(4:32) 5 Questions to Ask Your IT Provider 

(5:21) How to Reduce Unnecessary IT Costs 

(6:29) Proactive vs. Reactive IT Support 

(7:39) Is Your IT Provider Worth the Cost?

About Rick: Rick Valdez is the founder of Corsair USA, an Austin-based IT and cybersecurity company helping small and mid-sized businesses strengthen cybersecurity, manage technology, and reduce operational risk. With more than 30 years of experience spanning technology, business consulting, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations, Rick brings a practical, business-first approach to IT and cybersecurity. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas and is committed to supporting and strengthening the Central Texas business community. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickvaldez/ 

About Brian: Brian Gilchrist is Partner and Vice President of Business Development at Corsair USA, where he works with businesses to identify technology needs, strengthen cybersecurity, and make smarter decisions about their IT investments. With a focus on building strong client relationships and understanding the challenges businesses face, Brian helps organizations evaluate their technology and security needs from a practical, business-first perspective. At Corsair USA, he works alongside the team to help small and mid-sized businesses reduce risk, improve operations, and get greater value from their technology. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gilchrist-b807b371/ 

About Corsair USA: Corsair USA helps small and mid-sized businesses better understand cybersecurity, managed IT services, technology risk, and the decisions that can help protect their operations, employees, and reputation. If you’re a business owner in the Austin area and aren’t sure whether you’re getting the right level of IT support and cybersecurity protection, Corsair USA offers a complimentary cybersecurity assessment.

Many small business owners assume cybersecurity is either too expensive or only necessary for large enterprises. The reality is that every business, regardless of size, needs a solid cybersecurity foundation to reduce risk and protect operations. In this episode of Protected by Corsair, Rick Valdez explains the biggest cybersecurity misconceptions, the minimum protections every small business should implement, and how to prioritize security investments without overspending. 

This Episode Is for You If:

• You own or manage a small or mid-sized business  
• You're unsure which cybersecurity investments are actually necessary  
• You want to improve security without spending enterprise-level money 

If You’ve Ever Wondered: 

• How much cybersecurity does my business actually need?  
• What security measures should every small business have?  
• Is cybersecurity really worth the investment? 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)  
• Managed Endpoint Protection  
• Backup & Disaster Recovery  
• Patch Management  
• Security Awareness Training  
• Cybersecurity Risk Assessments 

Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: Rick and the team at Corsair USA offer a free cybersecurity risk assessment to help business owners understand what attackers may already see when scanning their company systems. The assessment identifies vulnerabilities, missing protections, and areas of exposure before an attack occurs: https://www.corsaircms.com/risk-assessment 

Learn more at: https://corsaircms.com 

Most businesses assume that once they move to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, cybersecurity is someone else's responsibility. Unfortunately, that's one of the most common and costly misconceptions in modern business. In this episode of Protected, Rick Valdez explains the shared responsibility model, why cloud platforms don't eliminate cybersecurity risk, and how businesses can protect themselves with stronger identity security, backups, Zero Trust principles, and proactive monitoring before a cyber incident occurs.

This Episode Is for You If:

• You use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace to run your business 
• You assume your cloud provider automatically backs up and secures all your data 
• You want to reduce cybersecurity risk without becoming an IT expert

Resources Mentioned:

• Microsoft 365 Security Best Practices 
• Google Workspace Security Controls 
• Zero Trust Security Framework 
• Cloud Backup & Disaster Recovery 
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) 
• Security Risk Assessments

Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: Rick and the team at Corsair USA offer a free cybersecurity risk assessment to help business owners understand what attackers may already see when scanning their company systems. The assessment identifies vulnerabilities, missing protections, and areas of exposure before an attack occurs: https://www.corsaircms.com/risk-assessment

Learn more at: https://corsaircms.com

Most business owners assume a cyber attack is an IT problem that can be fixed with a few technical repairs. The reality is much more serious. In this episode of Protected, Rick Valdez explains what actually happens when a business is breached, from the initial phishing email or scam phone call to data theft, ransomware, operational downtime, financial losses, legal exposure, and long-term reputation damage. He also shares why employee security awareness training remains one of the most effective ways to reduce cybersecurity risk.

This Episode Is for You If:

• Small business owners who think cybercriminals only target large companies
• Leaders responsible for protecting customer, employee, or financial data
• Organizations looking to reduce cybersecurity risk without becoming technical experts

Resources Mentioned:

• Security Awareness Training
• Security Risk Assessments
• Incident Response Planning
• Ransomware Recovery Planning

Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: Rick and the team at Corsair USA offer a free cybersecurity risk assessment to help business owners understand what attackers may already see when scanning their company systems. The assessment identifies vulnerabilities, missing protections, and areas of exposure before an attack occurs: https://www.corsaircms.com/risk-assessment 

Learn more at: https://corsaircms.com

Are small businesses really targets for cyberattacks? In Episode 1 of Protected by Corsair, Rick Valdez explains why small and mid-sized businesses are now a primary target for ransomware attacks, how phishing emails and credential theft lead to major breaches, and the five cybersecurity protections every company should implement to reduce risk and prevent downtime.

This Episode Is for You If:

• You run a small business and want to better understand cybersecurity risks
• You want to protect your business from ransomware and phishing attacks
• You are unsure whether your current IT support is enough to keep your business secure

If You’ve Ever Wondered:

• How do ransomware attacks happen?
• Why are hackers targeting small businesses?
• What cybersecurity protections matter most for SMBs?

Resources Mentioned:

• SentinelOne
• Huntress
• CrowdStrike
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Password managers
• Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)

Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: Learn more and request a free cybersecurity risk assessment at https://corsaircms.com

Are you confident your business is protected from cyber threats?

Many businesses believe they are protected until a cyber attack exposes hidden vulnerabilities, outdated systems, or gaps in IT support.

This podcast helps business owners and leaders understand how to protect their company’s data, systems, and operations without needing a technical background.

Focused on small to mid-sized businesses, including healthcare organizations, law firms, CPA firms, nonprofits, and other compliance-sensitive industries, each episode breaks down real-world cybersecurity risks, common IT failures, and practical strategies to reduce risk.

Learn how cyber attacks happen, why businesses are vulnerable, and what you can do to prevent ransomware, data breaches, and costly downtime.

If you want clear, practical answers to your cybersecurity questions, this podcast will help you make smarter, more informed decisions.

This podcast is designed to give you the knowledge and confidence to protect your business before something goes wrong.