The Technology Translator

Firewalls are one of those technology terms everyone has heard, but not everyone really understands.

In this episode of The Technology Translator, we break down what a firewall actually does, what “allow” and “block” really mean, and how things like default allow and default deny work in practice.

We also look at what this means if you’re a small business with a laptop, Wi-Fi and mostly cloud-based applications, how firewalls have evolved as businesses have moved into the cloud, where CASB fits in, and why having a firewall absolutely does not mean your cybersecurity is sorted.

Because the bigger question isn’t just what we let in and out.

It’s what happens when the person using the technology makes a completely human decision.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Ever wondered what actually happens when you hit send on an email — or why your house and office are full of little boxes with blinking lights?

In this episode of The Technology Translator, we break networking down into plain English. From Wi-Fi and Ethernet to routers, switches, IP addresses, DNS, bandwidth and even why LAN parties were once the ultimate nerd event, we follow how information actually gets from A to B.

No networking degree required. Just a simple explanation of the invisible communication system behind almost every piece of technology we use.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

You use technology every day. You open your laptop, click on the F drive, jump into SharePoint, open your CRM and get on with your job.

But have you ever stopped to think about what's actually happening behind the scenes?

In this episode of The Technology Translator, we're going back to basics and looking at how business technology evolved from paper and filing cabinets, to individual computers, centralised servers and eventually the cloud.

We break down what a server actually is, why businesses needed them, what local storage and shared drives really mean, how applications can run on servers, and why the rise of cloud fundamentally changed the way businesses operate.

We also get into the stuff business leaders actually need to understand: on-premises vs cloud, cost models, Azure and cloud spend, security and shared responsibility, reliability, scalability, virtual machines, hybrid environments, backups and end-of-life infrastructure.

You don't need to know how to build a server or architect a cloud environment. But if you're being asked to approve the investment, you should understand what you're paying for — and the questions you need to ask.

In this episode:

• How business technology evolved from paper to PCs, servers and cloud
• What a server actually does
• Local storage and shared drives explained
• Why servers became central to business operations
• What "the cloud" actually means
• On-premises servers vs cloud
• CAPEX vs ongoing cloud costs
• Why cloud isn't automatically cheaper
• Cloud security and the Shared Responsibility Model
• Reliability, scalability and internet dependency
• Virtual machines and virtualisation
• Hybrid environments
• Backups and server end-of-life
• The questions business leaders should be asking

Next episode: Networks & Firewalls — how all of this technology actually communicates, and how we control what gets in and out.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Everyone is talking about AI.

ChatGPT. Microsoft Copilot. Claude. AI Agents. Agentic AI. RAG. MCP.

But before your business invests in AI, there's a far more important question to answer...

Are you actually ready for it?

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic Cole explains why successful AI adoption has far less to do with choosing the right tool and far more to do with understanding your business information.

You'll learn:

• What AI buzzwords like Agentic AI, RAG and MCP actually mean.
• Why AI projects often become data governance projects.
• The five questions every business leader should ask before implementing AI.
• What Shadow AI is and why it's becoming one of the biggest business risks.
• Why data classification, governance and cybersecurity are the real foundations of successful AI.

Whether you're just starting to explore AI or already planning your next project, this episode will help you cut through the hype and focus on what really matters.

Because AI isn't something you buy.

It's something you become ready for.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

AI is everywhere.

Every software vendor has an AI feature. Every conference has an AI keynote. Every second LinkedIn post seems to promise that AI will completely transform your business.

But what actually is AI?

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic cuts through the noise and explains Artificial Intelligence in plain English.

You'll learn:

• Why AI isn't actually as "new" as people think
• The difference between AI, machine learning and Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Why AI hallucinates and why you shouldn't blindly trust it
• How Vic uses AI to create this podcast and save hours every week
• Why AI learns patterns and starts adapting to the way you communicate
• Practical ways businesses can start using AI today
• The risks of uploading sensitive business information into public AI tools
• The questions every business leader should be asking before embracing AI

Whether you're excited, sceptical, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you understand what AI really is, what it isn't, and why human judgement is still your greatest competitive advantage.

Next week, we'll take the next step and explore whether your business is actually AI-ready.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT problem.

It's a business risk, a governance issue, and increasingly, a legal and regulatory responsibility.

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic breaks down what Australian business owners, directors and managers actually need to know about cybersecurity obligations—without the jargon.

You'll learn why the Australian Government has been warning businesses for years, what the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) recommends, what the landmark RI Advice case means for directors, how privacy laws have changed, and why cybersecurity is now influencing tenders, supplier questionnaires and even insurance claims.

Vic also explores why the conversation has shifted from "if" your business experiences a cyber incident to "when", and why resilience is becoming just as important as prevention.

Whether you're a small business owner or leading a growing organisation, this episode will help you understand what "reasonable steps" really look like and why asking the right questions today could save your business tomorrow.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  Why cybersecurity is now a business responsibility, not just an IT issue 
•  The role of the ASD and ACSC in protecting Australian businesses 
•  What Scamwatch data tells us about the scale of cybercrime in Australia 
•  What the RI Advice case changed for directors and governance 
•  Australia's privacy obligations and potential penalties 
•  Why cyber insurance isn't a guaranteed safety net 
•  How cybersecurity is becoming a competitive advantage when bidding for work 
•  Practical questions every business owner should ask their IT provider 

Because cybersecurity isn't about being perfect.

It's about being prepared.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Most businesses think cybersecurity is simply part of IT.

But is it?

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic explains why keeping technology running and protecting a business from cyber threats are two very different challenges.

Starting with a simple poster she saw early in her career comparing cybersecurity to personal hygiene, Vic explores how cyber risk has evolved from an IT issue into a business responsibility.

You'll learn:

•  Why cybersecurity became its own profession 
•  The difference between an MSP and an MSSP 
•  What firewalls, antivirus, endpoint protection, EDR, MFA and Security Operations Centres actually do 
•  Why moving to the cloud doesn't automatically make your business secure 
•  When growing businesses need more than basic IT support 
•  Why organisations now employ Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) 
•  Why boards, insurers and regulators are paying closer attention to cyber risk than ever before 

Whether you have an internal IT team or outsource your technology, this episode will help you ask one simple but incredibly important question:

Who is actually responsible for protecting our business?

Because understanding where IT support ends and cybersecurity begins could be one of the most important technology decisions your organisation ever makes.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Most businesses have an IT provider.

But very few business owners actually know what they're paying for.

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic breaks down what a modern IT provider should actually be responsible for, from day-to-day support and onboarding staff to backups, budgeting, projects and long-term technology planning.

Through a real story about a not-for-profit organisation that nearly had to close its doors after assumptions during a major technology project, Vic explains why asking the right questions can save your business thousands of dollars and countless headaches.

You'll learn:

• What a Managed Service Provider (MSP) actually does
• Why technology should be treated as a business function, not just a help desk
• The 10 questions every business owner should ask their IT provider
• How to budget for technology instead of reacting to unexpected costs
• What "end of life" technology means and why it matters
• Why not every technology provider offers the same expertise
• How to reduce risk by eliminating assumptions before they become expensive mistakes

You don't need to become an IT expert.

You just need to know the right questions to ask.

Making technology make sense.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Your team is busy.

But are they busy doing work that actually creates value?

As businesses grow, hidden labour starts creeping in. Chasing approvals, forwarding emails, copying information between systems, creating reports, maintaining spreadsheets, following up internally and keeping processes moving. Individually these tasks seem small, but together they can consume hundreds of hours every year.

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic explores why businesses often feel harder to run as they grow, how hidden labour accumulates over time, and how technology can help remove repetitive administration without removing the human element that makes great businesses successful.

You'll learn:

•  What hidden labour actually is 
•  Why businesses become more complex over time 
•  How workarounds become permanent processes 
•  What automation really means 
•  What APIs and integrations actually do 
•  The risks that come with automation 
•  Why not everything should be automated 
•  How to think about AI in a practical business context 

Most importantly, we'll explore the question every business should be asking:

Just because technology can do something, does that mean it should?

Whether you're a business owner, manager, team leader or simply curious about how modern businesses operate, this episode will help you identify where time is being lost and where technology can genuinely make a difference.

Technology doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to make sense.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.

Most cyberattacks don't start with someone breaking into your systems.

They start with someone logging in.

In this episode of The Technology Translator, Vic shares one of the most embarrassing moments of her cybersecurity career – falling for a phishing simulation while working for a company that specialised in phishing awareness training.

From phishing emails and password reuse to multi-factor authentication (MFA) and password managers, this episode breaks down how cybercriminals really gain access to businesses and why good people make security mistakes every day.

You'll learn:

•  Why phishing attacks still work 
•  The difference between opportunistic and targeted attacks 
•  How much information strangers can find about you online 
•  Why passwords alone are no longer enough 
•  How MFA can prevent a simple mistake becoming a major incident 
•  Why password managers are one of the easiest security wins available 

Cybersecurity isn't about being perfect. It's about making sure one human mistake doesn't become a business-ending event.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to The Technology Translator.

If you found this episode useful, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who has ever been responsible for making a technology decision.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaccole/

Instagram - @thetechnologytranslator

Email - [email protected]

Remember:

You don't need to become technical.

You do need to become informed.