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Compliance plays a part in cybersecurity, however isn’t in and of itself security, rather a tool to help you manage it. Ryan gets into the weeds with Mav Turner, Head of Product with N-able talking about the complex dynamics of cybersecurity. Framing out risk, breaking down your security stack and most importantly putting your stack into action…Mav talks about the challenges and complexities that IT Service Providers face and offers some great tips on execution.
Topic 1: CISA Guidelines for MSP Clients
Like it or not, the US Government has defined Managed Services, and published guidelines for your clients and prospects to evaluate you! We expect a lot of heat – and maybe some light – to come out of this document.
Related Links: – https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/current-activity/2021/09/03/cisa-insights-risk-considerations-managed-service-provider
Topic 2: Forcing options to Apple Pay and Google Pay
In the continuing saga of Apple (and others) forcing app developers to use their pay systems, the government of South Korea has decided that Apple and Google cannot force game makers and others to use only their payment gateways. This is, of course, the beginning of other nations jumping into fray.
We comment – including how this might affect potential lawsuits in the US.
Topic 3: Tesla building their own chip to train self-driving vehicles
What? Tesla joins the chip-making industry – because they can’t buy the chips they need! Is this a sign of impending disruption for Intel, AMD, and others? Tesla has a unique demand, given the specific requirements of their autonomous vehicle strategy. And if they can’t buy chips elsewhere, they’re going to make their own – for now.
Link: https://link.wired.com/view/5e3f0a597e553f71453d575deurb4.7s9/5a9cf463
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Sponsor Note:
Think you know PC Matic? Think again.
PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security.
Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allowlisting.
Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency.
Find out more about by visiting https://pcmatic.com/MSP
Be sure to ask about PC Matic’s exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign.
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‘Hell Fire is in the forecast’ states Tyler Moffitt, Senior Threat Research Analyst with Webroot, however it is also avoidable. Ryan chats with Tyler about the importance of a solid security posture and taking the necessary steps to best secure yourself and your customers in todays ever evolving threat landscape. Tyler tells us to start by being aware that you don’t know everything. Stay engaged and educated in order keep yourself at the forefront.
Crypto and cybersecurity? They clear up some misconceptions about Crypto-Currencies and the roll they play in todays cybersecurity.
Topic 1: Gartner’s Latest Hype Cycle – Emerging Technology
How can you use Gartner’s research in your business? Does it matter if truly useful changes are at least two years out?
Gartner Hype cycle graphic: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/gartner-identifies-3-themes-to-watch-for-in-emerging-technologies/
Topic 2: AI for Changing Accents
Is this cool? What are the best uses for it? And, as always, we dig into the ethical use of AI.
There are clearly some benefits for folks with hearing issues or rare spoken dialects. As always, good-vs-bad depends on what people do with the application.
Topic 3: Impact of Remote Collaboration on Business Travel
This topic will continue for quite a while. Here’s the latest from Bloomberg.
Remote communications and collaboration tools have been so successfully developed and deployed in the past 18 months that 84% of CEOs indicate they plan to spend significantly less on business travel going forward.
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Sponsor Note: Egnyte
Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out https://Egnyte.com/msp, and when you do, tell them we sent you.
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Marketing and Business Development has always been a challenge with selling IT Services. You have the expertise with a great service offering, however struggle breaking through and effectively growing your business. Pete Busam, Founder & President of Equilibrium Consulting has an excellent chat with Ryan on the business of cybersecurity. Pete delivers some solid advice and ideas to get your marketing plan engaged and effective. ‘Lead generation is not marketing’ states Pete….Leads are the result of a solid marketing plan.
Topic 1: Change the storage to change ransomware?
Can you create storage that cannot be changed? Is ransomware-free data storage possible . . . and right around the corner?
Related Link: https://www.protocol.com/newsletters/protocol-enterprise/cloud-storage-ransomware-zero-trust
Topic 2: Shadow IT: Is it Real? Not real?
Are you the shadow IT? Does it really just mean outsourced IT? And that leads us to ask, is the conversation about shadow IT really just a conversation for really large companies?
Related Link: https://www.protocol.com/newsletters/protocol-enterprise/saas-shadow-it-cio
Topic 3: A New Chip Cluster Will Make Massive AI Models Possible
Cerebras says its technology can run a neural network with 120 trillion connections—a hundred times what’s achievable today.
Related Link: https://www.wired.com/story/cerebras-chip-cluster-neural-networks-ai/
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Sponsor Memo: SBT Technology Community
This podcast is sponsored by the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community. Check us out at Small Biz Thoughts.org. Forms, templates, and checklists are just the start. Our Community includes ALL of the best-selling books on managed services in all available formats, plus free training, members-only programs, and the best business training available to managed service providers anywhere.
Plus, we have weekly live members-only Zoom calls. The average member saves more than 200% of their membership cost each year. We are totally dedicated to YOUR success. Just because you’re in business for yourself doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Join us today at www.SmallBizThoughts.org.
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With all the different tools and layers that comprise our security stacks, so many times the fundamentals are overlooked. Ryan catches up with Founder and CTO at Password Boss, Steve Wise, to discuss the importance of password hygiene and the adoption of a vault to effectively manage not just customer passwords but your own internal passwords. Steve gives a staggering stat when an MSP loaded the Password Boss management tool which automatically showed how many passwords had been compromised and were available on the dark web.
Topic 1: Apple Privacy Revisited
We talked about this last week. Well, so did everyone else.
Apple introduced a new technology to screen for child pornography . . . and a spirited debate has ensued. Last week the Killing IT guys weighed in on the topic and now we want to revisit the ongoing debate and address some of the concerns about the “slippery slope” and the “permission” to access data on personal devices. Including some new twists on CSAM Screening Technology.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/technology/personaltech/iphone-update-sex-abuse.html
Topic 2: Evolution in Supply Chain Management
Toyota is famous for revolutionizing supply chain management, particularly with “Just-in-Time” inventory. Now, fifty years down the road, we’re finding that J-I-T had a lot of problems in the middle of the pandemic. Now, Toyota is responding again with a newer, more flexible approach to inventory. We look at supply chain issues generally, with a context of cars, chips, and toilet paper.
https://fortune.com/2021/08/02/toyota-cars-chip-shortage-semiconductors/
Topic 3: CRN Reports on Industry Trends
. . . But they’re headlines don’t align with their data. We were puzzled at the need to put extra energy into cheer-leading as compared to reporting the hard truth. We discuss.
Sponsor Memo: Acronis
Threats to client data constantly evolve, so your strategies must evolve too …but knowing where to get good guidance isn’t always easy. Well, nowhere will you hear more helpful insights from leading cyber protection experts than at the Acronis #CyberFitSummit. I’m going again –this year in-person, in Miami – and you should join me. Experts like Erick Simpson; Larry Walsh; and Acronis’ Amy Luby will show you how to boost profits, reduce risk, and improve your team’s productivity, as well as the latest cybersecurity strategies, technologies, and processes. In person and online. Learn more about the Acronis #CyberFit Summit World Tour at https://Acronis.events
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With many IT Professionals starting to get alert fatigue from their security tools, Steve Sims, VP Security & CISO with Green Cloud Defense tells us ‘Alerts should be used as an opportunity to advance customer environments’. Ryan has a nuts and bolts conversation with Steve on the steps to building an effective cybersecurity culture. Where the IT Services industry needs to go way beyond just delivering ‘availability’ to their customers.
Topic 1: Drones.. May not be coming.
We’ve been ushering drones for years. But where are they? Why in the age of the drone advancing so slowly? Amazon is slowing things down a bit.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-drone-delivery-prime-air
Topic 2: What should the penalty be for data misuse?
Data misuse is a growing topic. In addition to the recent Supreme Court case, we’re seeing companies make pre-emptive moves to make sure employees are not accessing data they have access to. This is a potentially huge issue for IT service providers. After all, we touch lots of client data, and our employees need to keep their eyes to themselves.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5gk73/google-fired-dozens-for-data-misuse
Topic 3: Apple to Scan the iCloud for Evidence of Child Sexual Abuse
No one’s going to argue with the goals here. But what’s next? Once the system is put in place to scan the contents of iCloud, will Apple resist looking for other illegal activity? Will the IRS pressure them to look for activity that indicated tax evasion? If nothing else, it’s a chink in the armor of “privacy by default.”
https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/05/apple-icloud-photos-scanning/
Sponsor Memo: PC Matic
Think you know PC Matic? Think again.
PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security.
Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allow-listing.
Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency.
Find out more about by visiting https://pcmatic.com/MSP
Be sure to ask about PC Matic’s exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign.
🙂
