In this episode of Technology Simplified, host Will Slappy sits down with Tina Forrest, Director of Cybersecurity and Compliance, to talk about the everyday challenges small businesses face with cybersecurity. Together, they unpack common pitfalls and share practical ways business owners can take simple, proactive steps to keep operations running smoothly and securely.

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In this episode, we're diving into a crucial conversation between a business owner and a Virtual Chief Information Officer (VCIO) about data protection, disaster recovery, and business continuity. Join us as we explore the importance of safeguarding your data and ensuring your business operations remain uninterrupted. Through a role-playing exercise, listeners will gain invaluable insights into the challenges faced by business owners in protecting their data and maintaining continuity, along with expert advice on effective data protection strategies and solutions. 

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In this episode of "Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Can Understand," Tina Forest, Director of Cybersecurity and Compliance at IT Voice, provides invaluable insights into staying safe in today's ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. Tina shares warning signs of cyber threats and addresses the alarming rise of ransomware, which is projected to cost $265 billion by 2031. As cyber threats evolve, businesses must prioritize cybersecurity with proactive measures. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance your organization's cybersecurity posture.

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Upgrading your phone system to a hosted voice solution offers numerous benefits, including enhanced features, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. By choosing the right provider and actively participating in the installation process, businesses can ensure a smooth transition to a more efficient and reliable phone system.  Listen in to find out how to upgrade your phone system (seamlessly). 

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Are you experiencing dropped calls or missing calls that people insist they've made to you? Tune in to our latest episode to uncover potential reasons behind these issues.

Welcome to Technology Simplified! Will Slappey, CEO of IT Voice, and resident telecom expert, James Lansford, explore the dynamic landscape of telecom regulations. In this episode, we unravel the FCC's role in combating spam calls and the industry's transition to self-regulation. 

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The right cyber insurance policy can be your fortress against digital disasters. This episode dives deep into the ever-evolving world of cyber insurance. We asked listeners what questions they had about cyber insurance and compiled the most popular to ask special guest Mike Roman 

In this era of interconnectedness, we're all vulnerable to cyberattacks, whether you're a multinational corporation or a solo entrepreneur. 

In this episode we cover: 

-Tips for cost-effective coverage

-Common coverage gaps and how to avoid them  

-Steps to take after a breach.  

Knowledge is power, and your cybersecurity journey should be an informed one. So, gear up, tune in, and become part of our ever-growing community of cyber-savvy individuals, because in this digital age, your questions are the keys to your online safety. Join us and together, let's navigate the cyber insurance landscape, one question at a time! 

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An MSP can offer you more time to focus on the operational aspects of your business, but choosing the right one can seem intimidating.  

Join our host Will Slappey and guest Josh Crago, experienced Technology Consultant, as they discuss choosing the right Managed Service Provider for your business. There’s much more to hiring a managed services provider than the bottom-line.   After all, a good MSP is not just a provider but a partner invested in your success.

 

In this episode of our popular podcast we discuss: 

• Different options available to you
• Best practices to hire the right team for the job
• How an MSP can help reduce IT expenditure 

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Welcome to Technology Simplified, your ultimate guide to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of technology. In this engaging and informative podcast, we demystify the complexities of cybersecurity and bring you the latest insights, trends, and best practices to safeguard your digital life. 
Join our host Will Slappey and guest Tina Forrest, seasoned cybersecurity professionals, as they take you on a captivating journey through the world of cyber threats. Often when we talk about cybersecurity, we end up with a series of cautionary tales of what can go horribly wrong. Today, we talk about success stories. What can happen when all the right people and tools are in place to prevent a cyber attack?

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Innovative technology is changing the way we all look at the business phone system. No longer is it a device that simply sits on your desk to make a call. This new tech has led to looking at phones in a different way.   
So today we are going to look at phones as the new MVP: Message, Video, Phone.  And every office can benefit from these new methods of communication.  
Creating the perfect customer experience often starts with a phone call.  Hosted phone systems give your business the features needed to craft the best first impression. Today we are joined by guest, Matt Rice,  is passionate about communication. We are excited to have him here to answer all our questions about Hosted PBX phone systems.

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The vCISO serves as a trusted advisor to  businesses executive leadership team, helping them make informed decisions about cybersecurity risks and strategies.  In this episode, Will Slappey sits down with Tucker Green, as he describes his role as a vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) for Vala Secure. Tucker is a remote cybersecurity expert who provides strategic guidance and leadership to an organization's cybersecurity program, at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full time employee.  Learn more about Tucker's role in ensuring that an organization's information assets are protected from potential cyber threats, and that they are compliant with relevant industry regulations and standards.

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On this episode, Will sits down to speak with James Webb, the Director of Cybersecurity and Technology at Vala Secure.  Vala evaluates security layers from an adversarial party approach, simulating full-spectrum cyber-attack tests to breach the environment, access data and compromise accounts.  Red Team exercises expose risks by acting  just like a criminal-doing whatever it takes to get into your network. James has been in IT over 20 years, and has seen it all. Listen to his Red Team tales in the latest episode of Technology Simplified!

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A huge security risk can occur when using hardware that is no longer supported.  Organizations currently using Server 2012 servers should begin planning, budgeting, and strategizing around how they will address their server environment. In this episode, we cover what the end of support for Server 2012  means and steps you can take now to prevent encountering problems in the future.  

 

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Today we are going to be discussing a time honored tradition, the New Year's resolution, but with a tech spin. Now, likely many of our listeners out there may hear this podcast well beyond the New Year, so we're also gonna take the approach similar to a Car tune up, considering what are the important factors to check under the hood of your business?

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Business owners have a lot of options to consider when deciding on the best way to store and access company files. The traditional file server, SharePoint, and a Cloud Based File Server are amongst some of the more popular choices. In this episode we will cover some of the pros and cons of each.  

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Recently guest host Scott Curtis sat down with IT VOICE CEO, Will Slappey, to discuss all the ways the business phone system has changed over the years. Will began his career at IT Voice at the age of five, sweeping warehouse floors and refilling the coke machine out back. Since then, he’s held just about every position in the company. This allowed him to learn the full nature of the business, from sales to accounting to operations. He officially became the CEO in 2019, where he started a new growth campaign that has taken the company to 8 times the size it was when he started. Will loves working with clients directly to help them leverage technology to grow their business. For this reason, we were so excited to get his insightful take on how phones have changed and some best practices for picking out a new system. He’s in a unique position since he is a phone expert and the key decision maker in our company when it comes to adopting new technologies. He’s all about providing the best customer service experience and peace of mind for our customers.  

A huge part of a great customer experience is communication. Your business requires a reliable phone solution to help you keep up and keep growing. 

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Do you have unanswered questions about Cyber Insurance? In this episode Will Slappey interviews expert Mike Roman to learn more about Cyber Insurance. How it can protect your business when a cyber event occurs and what it covers (it is more than you think!). 

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Cloud services have really evolved in the last 5 to 10 years. Cloud services are flexible, scalable, and secure. You have the advantage of choosing the services you need, exactly when you need them. A predictable cost structure helps with no surprises planning. Cloud computing gives you the ability to hand off the parts of your organization related to IT infrastructure, and let pros deal with that while you concentrate on your business. In this episode we explore Cloud services, and why businesses are choosing to make the move to the Cloud.  

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Microsoft 365
Welcome and thank you for listening to episode five of Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Questions about Microsoft 365? We have answers. Also tips and tricks to use this awesome software to make your day easier.   Microsoft has made some substantial changes recently to its most well-known product stack-Office 365. Sometimes change is a good thing! In this episode we will explore some of the improvements and how they can improve your business collaboration, communication and so much more.  

Check out our website: IT Voice

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Data Backup-What it is and Why it is Important.
Welcome and thank you for listening to episode four of Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Can Understand. Disaster can come in many different forms-from hardware failure to a burst pipe to ransomware. When it comes to your business data, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure. Data reconstruction can be incredibly expensive and there is no guarantee you can retrieve it all. The best way to protect data is to back it up. In this episode we will discuss data backups-diverse ways to get the job done; safely, securely, and affordably. 
#backup #backupsolutions #disasterrecovery #backupplan #itvoice

Check out our website: IT Voice

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Welcome and thank you for listening to episode three of Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Can Understand. People who take any form of electronic payment are subject to PCI Compliance. In this episode Will Slappey and special guest Frank DeBenedetto discuss the importance of PCI compliance. Listen in to find out how to know if you are compliant, and ways to patch security holes in processing that can lead to fraud. 

Check out our website for more great information to use to run your business safely and effectively.

https://www.itvoice.com/ 

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Welcome and thank you for listening to episode two of Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Can Understand. In this episode Will Slappey & Jake Demille discussed phishing campaigns: how bad actors convince people to “take the bait”, ways to recognize phishing emails & steps to prevent them ever hitting your inbox.

Technology Simplified is brought to you by IT Voice:

https://www.itvoice.com

Check out our blog for more great information:

https://www.itvoice.com/blog

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Welcome and thank you for listening to our first episode of Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Can Understand. In this episode Will Slappey & Scott Curtis discussed current trends in ransomware, how it could affect your business, & some ways to protect yourself and recover in the event of a ransomware attack.

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Ransomware trends in 2021 and 2022
•A few key ransomware trends emerged over the course of 2021 and will likely continue into 2022. Attackers realized that certain techniques yield better results and focused on those approaches. Here were some of the primary trends for ransomware in 2021:
•Supply chain attacks. Instead of attacking a single victim, supply chain attacks extended the blast radius. A prime example of a 2021 ransomware attack is the Solar Winds attack, which affected at least 18,000 of customers using their Orion software.
•Double extortion. In the past, ransomware was about attackers encrypting information found on a system and then demanding a ransom in exchange for a decryption key. With double extortion, attackers also exfiltrate the data to a separate location. There, it can be used for other purposes, including leaking the information to a public website if a payment is not received.
•Ransomware as a service (RaaS). Gone are the days when every attacker had to write their own ransomware code and run a unique set of activities. RaaS is a pay-for-use malware. It enables attackers to use a platform that provides the necessary ransomware code and operational infrastructure to launch and maintain a ransomware campaign.
•Attacking unpatched systems. This was not a new trend for 2021, but it is one that continues to be an issue year after year. While there are ransomware attacks that do make use of novel zero-day vulnerabilities, most continue to abuse known vulnerabilities on unpatched systems.
•Phishing. While ransomware attacks can infect organizations in different ways, in 2021, some form of phishing email was more often than not a root cause.
Ransomware statistics for 2021 and 2022
The statistics listed below provide insight into the breadth and growing scale of ransomware threats:
•Ransomware is part of 10% of all breaches. It doubled in frequency in 2021, according to the 2021 "Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report."
•Approximately 37% of global organizations said they were the victim of some form of ransomware attack in 2021, according to IDC's "2021 Ransomware Study."
•The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported 2,084 ransomware complaints from January to July 31, 2021. This represents a 62% year-over-year increase.
•The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reported in February 2022 that it is aware of ransomware incidents against 14 of the 16 U.S. critical infrastructure sectors.
•Since 2020, there have been more than 130 different ransomware strains detected, according to VirusTotal's "Ransomware in a Global Context" report:
oThe GandCrab ransomware family was the most prevalent at 78.5% of all samples it received, according to VirusTotal.
oNinety-five percent of all the ransomware samples are Windows-based executable files -- or dynamic link libraries -- according

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Hello and welcome to Technology Simplified – Tech Talk Everyone Can Understand Brought to you by IT Voice. The goal of this podcast is to give you actionable information that will help you keep your business network running efficiently, securely, & productively. Through this podcast, we will keep you up to date on the ever-changing technology landscape so you will be equipped to run your business effectively. Each episode will be free of undefined acronyms and over technical jargon. Feel free to subscribe on your favorite podcast app or check out itvoice.com for future episodes. We look forward to helping to keep you informed.

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