SipCyber - Presented by IT Audit Labs
SipCyber: Where Great Coffee Meets Essential Cybersecurity
What happens when a former special education teacher turned Minnesota State Cybersecurity Coordinator sits down with a perfect cup of coffee? You get cybersecurity advice that's actually approachable.
Jen Lotze from IT Audit Labs brings you SipCyber — the podcast that pairs cozy coffee shop discoveries with decaffeinated cybersecurity tips. No jargon. No fear-mongering. Just practical ways to protect yourself, your family, and your organization from digital criminals who want to ruin your perfectly good day.
What You'll Get:
- Real-world cybersecurity advice anyone can follow
- Coffee shop reviews and community spotlights
- Stories from someone who's been in classrooms, boardrooms, and government coordination centers
- A mission to make security everyone's job, not just the IT team's
From teaching special needs students to coordinating statewide cyber defense, Jen proves that cybersecurity expertise comes from the most unexpected places. And the best conversations happen over great coffee.
Perfect for: Coffee lovers, small business owners, educators, parents, and anyone who wants to stay safe online without the technical overwhelm. Let's get brewing.
Episodes
31 episodes
AI Phishing Attacks: When Fake Emails Feel Too Real
If something feels right, do you question it? In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze sits down at Walden Coffee in Minnesota with a plain latte—one with just enough latte art to make her stop and look twice. And that moment of recognition becom...
AI Is Reading Your Emails Before You Do
AI doesn't just help defenders anymore—attackers are using it to study you before you ever know you're a target. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze sits down at Forgotten Star Brewing in Fridley, MN—a former WWII manufacturing f...
Your Photos Are Sharing More Than You Think
Your photos are talking behind your back — and most people have no idea. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze stops into Profit Coffee in North Charleston, SC — a thoughtfully designed space where even the milk choices signal awar...
The Privacy Trade-Off You Didn't Know You Agreed To
You assume your messages are private. But what if that assumption is the vulnerability? In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze settles in at Estuary in St. John's Island with a wheat ale and unpacks a quiet but significant shift in ...
Your Social Security Number Has a Lock—Are You Using It?
You already know to watch out for IRS scams—but do you know how to lock down your Social Security number before someone uses it? In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Claddagh Coffee on 7th St. in St. Paul, MN, sipping a bright...
The "Accidental" Venmo Payment That Drains Your Account
The moment money shows up unexpectedly, most of us want to do the right thing—send it back, fix the mistake, move on. That's exactly what scammers are counting on. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Hamlin Bread inside Oxford's histo...
Tax Season Is Scammer Season: What You Need to Know
Trust is the thing scammers exploit most—and tax season hands it to them on a silver platter. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits The Mixing Jug, a hidden courtyard gem in Marlow, England, and draws a powerful parallel between the qui...
Stop Being Tracked: Phone Privacy Tips That Actually Work
Your phone isn't eavesdropping—it's doing something far more calculated. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Meta Coffee and Bookstore in Anoka, MN, where the warmth of an old-school wooden bar and a quiet cup of herbal tea set the st...
The Quiet Data Collector in Your Pocket
Your phone is never fully asleep—and most people have no idea what's running quietly in the background. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Compassion Coffee in Anoka, MN—a nonprofit built on second chances—and draws a powerful parall...
AI Is Already Inside Your Kids' World—Are They Ready?
A third-grader mishearing a Paul Simon song just delivered the most important cybersecurity lesson of the year. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze stops into Conscious Cup Coffee in Crystal Lake, IL—home of the salted hazelnut latte that tu...
What Flying a Plane Taught Me About Cybersecurity
What does flying a small airplane have to do with cybersecurity? More than you'd think. In this episode of SipCyber, host Jen Lotze visits Grounds Coffee Bar in Crystal Lake, IL, and draws a powerful connection between the calm of flight prepar...
Identity Theft 2.0: Ghost Students & Financial Aid Fraud
You don't have to be in college to become a victim. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Sunshine Coffee in Lake Elmo, MN, to break down the "ghost student scam"—a sophisticated identity theft operation targeting anyone with a Social S...
TikTok's New Terms - What You Need to Know
The agreement you clicked through without reading just changed the rules. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Raw Deal in Menominee, Wisconsin, and breaks down TikTok's recent U.S. Terms and Privacy Policy update—the one most p...
OSINT Secrets: Control Your Digital Reputation Before It's Too Late
In this episode, Jen breaks down how to "rabbit hole yourself" before someone else does. She walks through practical steps to audit your digital footprint, delete dormant accounts, and intentionally curate the top results that show up when some...
What a Hurricane Taught Me About Cyber Recovery
What do a North Carolina brewery destroyed by Hurricane Helene and a cybersecurity victim have in common? More than you think. This isn't just another "how to prevent hacks" episode—it's about what happens when the levee breaks. Hos...
White Papers Decoded: Your Secret Weapon Against Cyber Risk
Think white papers are just boring documents for IT teams? Think again. Understanding these authoritative guides is your secret weapon for spotting massive risks before they become disasters—whether you work in HR, marketing, finance, or any de...
The Hidden Dangers of App Permissions & Single Sign-On
Ever clicked "Sign in with Google" without thinking twice? You're not alone—but that convenience might be your biggest security risk. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze breaks down the invisible web of permissions connecting your entire dig...
Best Cyber Defense Tips for 2025 in One Coffee Break
Looking back at the cybersecurity lessons that made the biggest difference this year? Jen breaks down the 9 most powerful, actionable steps you've learned through SipCyber - the security moves that drastically reduce your risk without requiring...
Holiday Shopping Scams: 4 Ways Hackers Target You
The holidays aren't just busy for shoppers—they're prime hunting season for cybercriminals. While you're wrapping gifts and booking flights, threat actors are unwrapping your financial data at gas pumps, coffee shops, and fake charity sites.&nb...
AI Isn't Your Child's Friend – What Parents Need to Know
AI companions are becoming digital "friends" to our children—and that's a serious problem. When kids start treating AI like a trusted companion instead of a tool, we're seeing real harm: emotional manipulation, self-worth issues, and even incid...
AI Safety 101: Manipulation, Hallucinations & Defense
The tools we trust most can deceive us fastest. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze brings insights straight from Wild West Hackin' Fest—one of the premier ethical hacking conferences—to Wabasha Brewing in St. Paul, MN. Fresh off an AI cyber...
Scams Exploiting Trust: Quishing & Pig Butchering
Trust is essential in our daily lives—but it's also what scammers exploit most. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Central Park Coffee in Owatonna, MN, to discuss two evolving scams that prey on human trust: quishing (QR code fraud) ...
Smishing & Vishing: The Scams Hiding in Your Messages
That urgent text about a package delivery? That call from "your bank"? They might be scams designed to steal your personal information. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze breaks down smishing (SMS phishing) and vishing (voice phishing)—two ...
SIM Swap Attacks: How Criminals Steal Your Phone Number
What if a criminal could steal your phone number and use it to break into every account you own? That's exactly what happens in a SIM swap attack—and it's more common than you think. In this episode of SipCyber, host Jen Lotze expla...
Property Fraud: How to Stop Criminals from Stealing Your Home
What if someone could steal your house without ever stepping foot on your property? It happened to Graceland—and it could happen to you. In this episode of SipCyber, host Jen Lotze breaks down the growing threat of property fraud while sipping ...