Tech Takeaways

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This week's show is the first of a two-part special with Sophos Technical Evangelist, Jon Hope. Jon shares with us his and Sophos's view of the modern threat landscape, customer challenges and how to deal with them.

Jon provides insight into the evolving threats, how diminishing returns from ransomware have caused the threat to evolve and when we talk about cybercriminals, the reality of what we are up against.

We cover a lot, so settle in for a ride through cybercrime!

To catch all future episodes of Tech Takeaways then subscribe on Youtube, via our website https://www.gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:10 Resources available to deal with cyber incidents

6:37 Do you get your data back?

8:35 Elements of ransomware

12:54 Be careful what you put online

14:39 Closing Words

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Wayne is missing this week - so Jason and Paul go rogue and let loose on the  IT claims they commonly hear, but are often not true. 

The team picks through common misconceptions ranging from the classic "It's in the cloud, I don't have to worry about its security and availability anymore" to every IT pro's favourite line "You work in IT so you must know everything about IT".  Really this is just a chance for Paul and Jason to get some  IT stuff off their chests!

Settle in and enjoy the ride.

To catch all episodes of Tech Takeaways then subscribe here on Youtube or via the podcast app of your choice over at https://www.gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts/ or the podcast platform of your choice.

Have a topic you'd like the team to chat through? - Then drop us a line and let us know.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:48 Episode outline
3:38 Responsibilities
7:08 Is it cheaper to move to the cloud?
12:38 Tactical cloud
13:40 “I’m an IT specialist, I know everything.”
18:36 Closing words.

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Data is a valuable asset to any business. It's the information we use to make decisions, the things we share with our customers, suppliers and partners to more effectively operate. The question is, are you protecting this valuable asset as well as you can?

In this episode, Paul and Jason discuss the data loss risk and how to build an approach to avoid it. The team talk about why securing data is essential, where the risks are, and the impact of losing it. They also discuss why this is much more than an IT problem, why it needs wide business adoption and why data security is not just about technology.

A lot to unpack, but full of top data security tips.

To ensure you don't miss an episode of Tech Takeaways subscribe. You can subscribe here on YouTube or visit https://www.gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts/ to find links to the podcast apps of your choice.

If you have any questions about data security then contact us in any of the usual ways.

Enjoy the show.

Chapters
0:00 intro
0:45 Taking care of our data
3:13 How data has changed
5:49 Types of risks
8:00 Ways customers can help
11:21 The value of data
12:34 Impact of leaked data
15:37 Closing words

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It had to happen that Tech Takeaways would wander into the murky waters of ITs current hot topic of Generative AI. A technology brought into the popular consciousness by ChatGPT. But what does this potentially game-changing technology actually mean for all of us and for those of us focused on business technology?

With Wayne away for a few episodes, Jason and Paul tackle the Generative AI question and share some thoughts on how they are seeing generative AI used in general, what options and risks it presents to a business and things for you to consider as you think about your own steps into the world of GenAI.

If you have any comments please leave them here or contact us via any of our usual channels.

To make sure you catch the next episode then subscribe on YouTube, via https://www.gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts/ and all good homes of audio podcasts.


Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:34 Generative AI
1:56 ChatGPT’s rise in popularity
4:04 Opportunities for CEOs in Generative AI
6:56 Using ChatGPT for coding
10:25 Flaws with Generative AI
13:35 Closing thoughts

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The risk posed to businesses by poor password management is huge. A username and password that falls into the wrong hands can be used to gain access to all kinds of systems, from enterprise to personal. They can be used to steal data, money, deploy malware or carry out reconnaissance on a future target.

How do we end up with poor password practice? Often because we ask too much of our users, we want passwords to multiple systems, we want long and complex passwords, and we want them to change regularly. All of this is too much for the human mind to cope with, which leads to poor and risky practices.

On this week's show, the team discuss these challenges, some risks to consider and steps to take to reduce the risks. The team also chat about why enterprise password managers can have a significant impact on improving password practices and reducing security risks across your organization. 

You can make sure you catch all episodes of Tech Takeaways then subscribe on YouTube, gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts and all good homes of podcasts.

During the show Paul mentioned Hive Systems Password Table - you can request a copy of that here  https://www.hivesystems.io/password-table

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction: Password management
2:35 Is having one password a bad idea?
6:27 Password Managers
14:00 Tech Takeaways

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All businesses have and need usernames and passwords. They are how we get access to systems and our business information. Today businesses and users are managing more usernames and passwords than ever before.

This creates a massive problem for businesses and users alike and is why identity and credential theft is at the top of the cybercriminal's hit list. With a username and password, a cybercriminal can access otherwise secure systems and start having fun at your expense.  However, there are steps you can take to improve your identity security and better protect your business. 

In this episode, the team discuss the importance of having a strong identity lifecycle strategy and how ensuring your management of usernames and passwords from creation to deletion can make your business much more secure.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction: Identity
2:45 Identity LIfecycle Framework
12:19 Tech takeaways

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Phishing remains one of the primary weapons that cyber attackers have available to them to try to compromise the security of an individual or a business. The threat is ever-evolving and has moved on greatly from Princes offering you millions if you just send over your bank details.

Today the team discuss the evolving threat and how cybercriminals are using advanced techniques to craft convincing and effective attacks, how they are doing so across a wide range of different communication channels and the damage a successful attempt can cause. Importantly the team share some of the steps you can take to make sure your business is not hooked by the next phishing attack.

You can subscribe to the show via YouTube or all good homes of podcasts.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Phishing
3:57 Defending against phishing
12:37 Tech takeaways

Any feedback? Let us know here!

IT is essential to the smooth running of all businesses. Therefore it is critical that it is always available and that individual issues don't leave us without crucial systems. To achieve that, businesses design and build resilient IT infrastructure capable of surviving incidents that otherwise would leave them without crucial business systems. Or at least that is what many businesses think!

In this episode, the team discuss common mistakes businesses have made in their resilience design which has let them down when they needed it most. 

Tune in as the team share some tips for avoiding those mistakes and making sure your resilient design delivers when you need it to.

To make sure you catch all future issues of Tech Interviews subscribe on YouTube or find us at https://www.gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts/

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction: Not making mistakes with resilient infrastructure
0:47 What is infrastructure resilience?
5:10 SD-WAN
5:52 Advice for business owners
9:32 Resources for businesses for best practice 
10:51 Some Tech takeaways

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The recent MOVEit file transfer breach has caught a lot of attention in the news recently, with high-profile victims of the attack around the world. In the UK this includes BA, The BBC and Boots. It's yet another example of a breach that has a big impact on its victims and raises the question, how do we avoid being the next victim of a cyberattack?

While there's no magic bullet to solve the problem, Wayne, Paul and Jason discuss the anatomy of this recent breach and the cyber security trends it took advantage of. This includes reconnaissance, data theft and attacking supply chains. They also share some ideas about what you can do to avoid your organization being next.

To make sure you catch the next episode then subscribe. You'll find the show in all good homes of podcasts.

For further information here is the link to the blog post Paul mentioned -https://gigaom.com/2023/06/09/moveit-transfer-hack-is-right-on-trend/

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In this episode, the team talks about cybersecurity again. When trying to tackle the ever-changing cybersecurity threat it's critical that businesses, regardless of their size, should ensure they have the basics of security right. But how do you go about doing that?

For businesses in the UK, the Cyber Essentials accreditation is an excellent way of doing that. In this episode, Paul and Wayne speak with our cyber essentials expert Jason Fitzgerald, who shares what Cyber Essential is, and isn't, and how to get started on your route to Cyber Essentials. And if you think you shouldn't bother with Cyber Essentials you'll find increasingly that your customers think you should.

To ensure you catch all episodes of Tech Aways then subscribe either here on YouTube or at https://www.gardnersystems.co.uk/podcasts/

You'll find the questionnaire Jason mentioned here https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials/resources


Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction
0:45 - What is Cyber Essentials?
1:32 - The key components of Cyber Essentials
4:42 - Where to get started with Cyber Essentials
7:11 - Why bother with Cyber Essentials?
11:20 - Key takeaways