Security Simplified

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Introducing John

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John Schaefer is not your typical computer geek.

Sure he’s got over a quarter century of experience in Information Technology, with a focus on Information Security.  Which means that he wrote programs, maintained servers, and designed networks for some of the largest companies in the world.  You know, typical computer geek stuff.

But while a lot of geeks believe that their technical abilities make them somehow better than non-geeks, John is not one of them.  Instead, he believes that geeks have a responsibility to make technology easy to understand for everyone.

Which is why he’s also done some very non-geeky things.  He’s lead international teams where he was the only native English speaker, he’s delivered technical project updates to corporate executives, and he’s presented security awareness training to packed auditoriums.

John’s biggest strength is his ability to explain complex technical information in ways that non-IT professionals can easily understand.  That’s why he’s the Geek-to-English Interpreter.

He can help bridge gaps that exist between business needs, technology possibilities, and security requirements.  This ensures that common sense reigns and FUDGE – Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt, Generalities, and Exaggerations – is eliminated.

If you’re interested in having John help your audience or organization, let’s have a conversation.

To The Cloud

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Cloud Computing has become a huge buzz-word lately, but many people still don’t understand what it s, what it does, and how it can benefit them.  You could say that there is a storm of confusion around this topic, but that’s because different people use it to mean different things.  This program is designed to part the cloud and shine light on the following areas.

  • A brief history of cloud computing
  • The Internet and The Cloud are not the same thing
  • You are using the cloud today, even if you don’t know it
  • Benefits of cloud computing
  • How to keep your data safe in the cloud

The Cost of Security

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In this digital age, people have become accustomed to finding nearly everything on the Internet.  And lots of folks expect to getting things for free – including information security tools.  But just because something is free doesn’t mean that it’s effective (or even trustworthy).  Our Cost of Security program will help guide you through this complicated (and sometimes scary) topic.  We’ll focus on security best practices and how you can apply them to your business,  Some of the highlights of this program include the following.

  • It’s more than just patching and anti-virus programs
  • It’s a recipe, not a product
  • Guidance to determine what needs to be protected
    • Different industries have different rules and laws
    • There isn’t a security silver bullet
  • Product recommendations
    • There are some good, free tools that could save you some money
    • There are other excellent tools that aren’t quite free
  • Not all data is created equal

The Ostrich Effect

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This program could also be called “You ARE a Target.”  That’s because many small businesses or independent contractors believe that they are too small to be a target of, much less a victim of, cybercrime.  Nothing could be farther from the truth, however.  As organized cybercrime has increased, they’ve realized that there are millions of potential victims – and have recently focused on small businesses.  Our Ostrich Effect program will help your audience get their heads out of the sand by shedding light on the following items.

  • Never think that “It can’t happen to me”
    • 80% of small business will be impacted this year
  • Security is an insurance policy against risks
    • It’s not foolproof
    • You will need to have a contingency plan
  • Complete Security means you have to be right 100% of the time
    • A compromised systems means that the bad guys only had to be right once

Social Media

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Social media is a double edged sword. It can help you compete effectively in today’s business world, but it can also sabotage your business (while helping your competition) if you are not careful. In our Social Media program you will learn a variety of topics that cover both personal and business strategies, including:

  • There is more out there than just Facebook
  • Tips on using social media to help, not hurt, your business
  • Some of the personal and professional risks surrounding social media like:
    • Identity theft
    • Lost customers/followers
    • Malicious software
    • The myth of privacy, and more
  • How to reduce those risks when using social media