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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hosts: Justin Shelley - webinar registration:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-cut-your-technology-costs-by-40-without-compromising-security-tickets-1505204289549?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
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.
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.
Hosts: Justin Shelley - https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/ | Mario Zaki - https://www.mazteck.com/
Guest: Jocelyn King, "Queen of Online Safety" - https://www.smarteronlinesafety.com/
In this eye-opening episode, cybersecurity expert Jocelyn King shares her harrowing personal story of being targeted by cybercriminals for years, losing over $500,000, and how it led to her mission of protecting others online.
The conversation focuses on a critical but underserved area: protecting our elderly community from cyber scams. With over
40billionstolenfromAmericans60+lastyearalone,andaveragelossesexceeding40billionstolenfromAmericans60+lastyearalone,andaveragelossesexceeding60,000 per victim, this isn't just about protecting grandparents—it's about protecting your family's financial future.
Jocelyn shares practical strategies for safeguarding elderly family members, including setting up two-factor authentication alerts to your phone, establishing "stranger danger" protocols for the digital age, and creating emergency response plans. The hosts discuss real cases, including a devastating $300,000 retirement theft, and why traditional banking protections don't apply when victims willingly transfer money to scammers.
Key takeaways include actionable steps business owners can take today to protect elderly family members who could become unexpected financial burdens if targeted by sophisticated scammers.
Your Factory Is Wide Open: How to Lock Down Connected Machines Before It’s Too Late
Legacy machines were never designed to be connected—or protected. But in modern manufacturing, connectivity is a must. So how do you protect your business when the shop floor is now on the network?
In this episode, Justin talks with Tory Bjorklund, manufacturing consultant and author of Digital Transformation Guidebook, about the surprising ways attackers exploit connected machines, what most companies still get wrong, and how to secure industrial systems without breaking your operations.
In this episode:
Guest Links: https://victoriafide.com/
This week on UnHacked, we’re talking with Brad Groux (cybersecurity engineer, tech founder, and co-host of The Digital Meld podcast) about how AI is quietly shaping how we build, manage, and lead our businesses.
From SMBs to the enterprise, Brad has worked with it all. In this episode, we break down:
Whether you're an MSP, a manufacturer, or a business owner trying to stay ahead of the tech curve, this episode gives you a candid look at what’s coming next and how to lead through it.
🔗 Guest links
🌐 DigitalMeld.io
🎙️ The Digital Meld Podcast
Password fatigue isn’t just annoying—it’s expensive and dangerous. In this episode of UnHacked, Raul Cepeda Jr. from rf IDEAS breaks down the hidden costs of password dependence and shows small businesses a better way forward. From clinicians wasting hours re-logging into systems to the real risk of password-related breaches, Raul makes the case for going passwordless—safely, securely, and affordably.
🔗 Learn more at rfideas.com
🔗 Explore passkey adoption at fidoalliance.org
In this episode of UnHacked, cybersecurity strategist Brett Gallant walks us through a real-world disaster—a manufacturing plant brought to its knees by an unsecured remote access tool. We break down what went wrong, how it could’ve been prevented, and why business leaders must stop assuming their IT support has cybersecurity covered.
If you’re a manufacturer—or any business relying on third-party tools and vendors—this is a wake-up call you can’t afford to miss.
🔗 Learn more about Brett’s work at adaptiveoffice.ca
📘 Why Your Business Must Have Cybersecurity Risk Assessments → Amazon
What would happen if your entire business was encrypted overnight? No files. No access. No plan.
In this episode of UnHacked, we sit down with Michael Ritsema—cybersecurity strategist and President of i3 Business Solutions—who’s helped multiple companies survive full-scale breaches. Together with co-hosts Bryan Lachapelle and Mario Zake, we unpack what actually happens when things go sideways, why most CEOs think they're covered (but aren't), and how to make your business bulletproof—starting today.
This episode is for every business owner who’s ever thought:
🧠 “That won’t happen to us.”
🧠 “We have IT—we’re fine.”
🧠 “We’ll deal with it if something comes up.”
Don’t wait until “something” shows up. Learn how to lead your company through the #1 operational risk of the decade—and how one company was saved by a $300 tape backup.
🎧 Listen in. Take action. Keep your business UnHacked.
Three small business owners are about to discover why their $150 inspection costs are bankrupting them—and how one diplomat's experience in Syrian war zones revealed the game-changing solution.
In this eye-opening episode, cybersecurity experts Justin, Bryan, and Mario sit down with Mounir Ibrahim, former US diplomat and Chief Communications Officer at TruePic. Mounir shares how witnessing fake images derail international investigations led him to a technology that's revolutionizing how businesses verify digital content.
What You'll Learn: • How to eliminate $150 inspection fees and reduce wait times from 3 days to 1 hour • Why your customers' photos, receipts, and documentation can't be trusted (and what to do about it) • The two major fraud threats hitting small businesses: AI-generated content and "cheap fakes" • Real-world examples: Insurance claims, warranty inspections, loan applications, and merchant cash advances • How one pizza shop owner can now get funding in hours instead of days
Perfect for: Small business owners doing manual inspections, anyone processing customer-submitted photos or documents, and entrepreneurs looking to expand beyond their geographic area without the traditional costs.
The Bottom Line: While we're living in the "Wild West" of digital content, smart business owners are using authentication technology to cut costs by 90%, serve customers faster, and expand into new markets—all while protecting themselves from fraud.
Are your cybersecurity gaps quietly devaluing your business? In this episode, entrepreneur and advisor Jim DuBos shares the top reasons buyers walk away—and how small business owners can protect their company’s value before it’s too late. Learn the 3 essential controls every buyer looks for, how to build a culture of security, and why cybersecurity is a business growth strategy, not just an IT concern.
Download Jim DuBos’ Cybersecurity Program for Small Business
In this episode, hosts Justin Shelley and Mario Zaki welcome Dr. Ilkay Damir, a deep fake detection expert who developed FakeCatcher at Intel. Dr. Damir explains how deepfakes threaten businesses through financial scams, political misinformation, and reputation damage. She discusses her groundbreaking technology that detects fake videos by analyzing blood flow signals in faces with 96% accuracy. The conversation covers practical protection strategies for business owners, including using the Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) standard and protective technologies like "My Art My Choice" that prevent AI from successfully replicating content. Dr. Damir's message: we're not doomed - businesses can protect their digital identity by being proactive and leveraging emerging authentication technologies.
In this episode of UnHacked, hosts Justin Shelley and Mario Zake are joined by Tim O'Hearn, author and former software engineer, to explore the darker side of social media engagement strategies. Tim shares insights from his personal journey of creating social media bots and discusses the implications of fake activity on platforms like Instagram. The conversation delves into the potential harm of artificial social proof, highlighting the need for small business owners to be discerning about social media metrics. Tim also discusses his book, Framed: A Villain's Perspective on Social Media, and the broader impact of deceptive online practices. Listen to uncover the hidden threats and learn how to navigate the complexities of social media with your business's integrity intact.
Buy Tim's book here: https://amzn.to/3XoxUC1
