Épisodes

  • 70. Unlicensed and Dangerous: The IT Industry Secret That's Putting Your Business at Risk - with Robert Cioffi
    Oct 24 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Mario Zaki - https://www.mazteck.com/
    Bryan Lachapelle - https://www.b4networks.ca/

    Guest: Robert Cioffi - https://www.progressivecomputing.com/

    The IT industry has a dirty secret: anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a cybersecurity expert. No license required. No proven competency. No oversight. In this eye-opening episode, cybersecurity veteran Robert Cioffi returns for his third appearance to expose how this unregulated wild west is putting businesses at catastrophic risk.


    Justin shares a real horror story of a company paying $2,000/month for "managed services" while having zero antivirus, no backups, and servers riddled with errors. The hosts break down the three critical areas every business owner must understand: what this means for clients, legitimate service providers, and most importantly - how to protect yourself.


    You'll learn the warning signs of incompetent IT providers, why choosing based on price is business suicide, and the specific questions to ask that will separate the professionals from the pretenders. This isn't just about technology - it's about protecting your life's work from preventable disasters.

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    49 min
  • 69. Windows 7, Zero Backups, and $24K Down the Drain: A Cybersecurity Horror Story
    Oct 20 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Bryan Lachapelle - https://www.b4networks.ca/

    A real cybersecurity horror story unfolds as Justin reveals his most shocking discovery ever: a 34-computer business paying $2,000 monthly for IT services while receiving literally nothing in return. Windows 7 machines, zero backups, no antivirus, failing systems, and unlicensed software - all while the business owner believed they were protected.

    In this Halloween special episode, Justin and Bryan share spine-chilling tales from their IT audits and provide a practical checklist every business owner needs to verify they're actually getting what they pay for from their IT provider. Learn the critical questions to ask, red flags to watch for, and why quarterly business reviews aren't optional.

    Key takeaways include framework-based cybersecurity approaches, the importance of documented processes, and why "trust but verify" should be every business owner's motto when it comes to IT services.

    Don't let your business become the next cautionary tale. This episode could save your company from financial devastation.

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    31 min
  • 68. The ADA Website Lawsuit Trap That's Bankrupting Small Businesses
    Sep 26 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Mario Zaki - https://www.mazteck.com/

    Small businesses making under $500K are the #1 target for ADA website compliance lawsuits - and most business owners have never heard of this threat. In this eye-opening episode, Justin and Mario break down the "digital ambulance chasing" epidemic that's forcing small businesses into $5K-$20K settlements for website violations they didn't know existed.

    You'll discover why having a website makes you a target, what specific violations trigger lawsuits, and the free tools you can use TODAY to protect your business. The hosts also reveal why these cases almost always settle (even when frivolous) and provide a step-by-step action plan to minimize your risk.

    This isn't about hackers or data breaches - it's about predatory legal tactics targeting the very businesses that can least afford to defend themselves. Don't become the next victim.

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    32 min
  • 67. The $10 Million Cybersecurity Mistake That Could Destroy Your Business Tomorrow
    Sep 19 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Mario Zaki - https://www.mazteck.com/

    Nevada's state government has been crippled by ransomware for nearly a month with most systems still down - and it's a wake-up call every business owner needs to hear. In this eye-opening episode, Justin and Mario dissect what makes some organizations recover quickly from cyberattacks while others remain paralyzed for weeks.

    From Marriott's impressive ransomware response to Nevada's ongoing nightmare, discover why being "low hanging fruit" is more dangerous than having a target on your back. Plus: the Windows 10 end-of-life crisis hitting 40% of US computers next month, and why cutting corners on cybersecurity can turn a $500K problem into a $10M lawsuit.

    Key topics: The difference between targeted attacks and opportunistic breaches, why government entities struggle with cyber recovery, Windows 10 end-of-life vulnerabilities, building a security-first culture, and practical steps every business can take today to avoid becoming the next cautionary tale.

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    45 min
  • 66. Turn Hackers Into Your Security Team - with Grant McCracken
    Sep 2 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Mario Zaki - https://www.mazteck.com/
    Bryan Lachapelle - https://www.b4networks.ca/

    Guest: Grant McCracken - https://darkhorse.sh

    What if the best way to secure your business was to invite hackers to attack it? In this eye-opening episode, ethical hacker Grant McCracken reveals how bug bounty programs are revolutionizing cybersecurity for businesses of all sizes. Grant explains how his company Dark Horse Security makes these powerful security tools accessible and affordable for small businesses - starting at absolutely free for the first 25 vulnerability reports.

    Discover why traditional penetration testing only scratches the surface, how a major bank found six-figure worth of vulnerabilities overnight when they expanded their scope, and why the bad guys are already looking for your vulnerabilities whether you're testing for them or not. Grant breaks down complex concepts like attack surfaces, vulnerability disclosure programs, and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework in business owner-friendly terms.

    Key takeaways include identifying if your business needs a bug bounty program, understanding what constitutes an attack surface, and learning how to leverage the crowd-sourced approach to cybersecurity. This episode is essential listening for any business owner serious about proactive security.

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    43 min
  • 65. 80 Clients, 2,500 Computers, 100% Encrypted: A Survival Story Every CEO Needs to Hear - with Robert Cioffi
    Aug 26 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Mario Zaki - https://www.mazteck.com/

    Guest: Robert Cioffi - https://www.patreon.com/CyberRISE and https://cyberrise.org/

    In July 2021, Robert Cioffi's MSP business was completely destroyed in 90 minutes. 80 clients, 200 locations, 2,500 endpoints - 100% encrypted by ransomware through a zero-day exploit. But this isn't just another breach story. It's the blueprint for what every business owner needs to know about frameworks, community, and the one resource that could save your company when disaster strikes.

    Justin and Mario dive deep with Robert about the human side of cyber attacks, why frameworks like CIS Controls became his lifeline, and how he transformed his nightmare into MSP911.org - a nonprofit that provides emergency response for cyber attacks. If you're a business owner wondering "what would we do if this happened to us?" - this episode contains answers you can't afford to ignore.

    Key topics: Cybersecurity frameworks, incident response, community support, MSP911.org, Cyber Rise nonprofit, prevention vs. response strategies.

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    1 h et 1 min
  • 64. The Hidden Threat: How Vendor Breaches Can Destroy Your Business - with Jolie Grace Wareham
    Aug 8 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://unhackmybusiness.com
    Bryan Lachapelle - https://www.b4networks.ca/

    Guest: Jolie Grace Wareham, CEO of Protosec - https://protasec.com/


    Your vendors could be your biggest cybersecurity weakness. In this eye-opening episode, cybersecurity advisor Jolie Grace Wareham shares a real case where a small business lost a significant five-figure sum when their vendor's email compromise led to fraudulent payment instructions.

    Learn how threat actors lived undetected in a vendor's email system for months, then sent convincing fake wiring instructions that looked completely legitimate. Discover the red flags that could have prevented this costly attack and why 60% of small businesses that experience cyber incidents are out of business within six months.

    Key topics: vendor risk management, business email compromise (BEC), payment verification protocols, incident response planning, and why cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility—not just IT's.

    Essential listening for any business owner who works with vendors, contractors, or third-party service providers.

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    51 min
  • 63. Everything Is a Data Problem: How AI Is Creating New Business Risks - with Jocelyn Houle
    Aug 8 2025

    Hosts:
    Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/
    Bryan Lachapelle - https://www.b4networks.ca/

    Guest: Jocelyn Houle - https://www.jocelynhoule.com/

    Small businesses are racing to adopt AI, but most are unknowingly creating massive security vulnerabilities. In this episode, veteran AI expert Jocelyn Houle reveals why "everything is a data problem" and how companies are accidentally exposing customer data, intellectual property, and sensitive information through AI implementations.

    From the Chevrolet chatbot that offered a $76,000 car for $1 to HR systems leaking employee salaries, we explore real-world AI disasters and what they mean for your business. Jocelyn shares practical strategies for Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), prompt injection prevention, and safe AI adoption that won't put your company at risk.

    Key topics: AI security risks, data protection, prompt injection attacks, shadow IT, customer data exposure, and actionable steps for implementing AI safely in small businesses.

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    50 min