The Killing IT Podcast
IT authors and entrepreneurs Ryan Morris, Karl Palachuk, and Dave Sobel provide commentary on the changing world of technology opportunities and emerging tech. We want to expand the discussion from the SMB IT channel to all things tech - with one eye on the future and the other on profits. Join us!
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Episode 134 - Slack Whacks Apple; Amazon Smacks Themselves
10/19/2021
Episode 134 - Slack Whacks Apple; Amazon Smacks Themselves
Interesting tidbit of the day: Statistics Don't forget to join us for Killing IT Live - October 20th - Topic 1: Slack upended the workplace -- and gave power to the employees Slack (and other technologies) are revealing some inner turmoil at companies such as Apple. Is this something caused by the technology, or merely revealed by the technology? We discuss culture and more. Link: Topic 2: Amazon Copied Best-Selling Products and then Rigged their Search Result Meme for this: From the movie Casablanca . . . "I’m shocked - shocked I tell you.” Question: Even though this is India, does it affect how our Congress will try to hold Amazon accountable? Link: Topic 3: Convergence of AV and IT . . . Other industries are learning the IT space. Well, at a minimum, they're learning the language. This turns into a debate about marketing share and specialization. And "specialization" looks different, depending on the perspective you start with. Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Egnyte Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out and when you do, tell them we sent you. :-)
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Episode 133 - Amazon Hands Your Data to the Government; CISA Guidelines for Autonomous Vehicles
10/12/2021
Episode 133 - Amazon Hands Your Data to the Government; CISA Guidelines for Autonomous Vehicles
Fun question of the day . . . If you were offered the position of mayor of your city, would you take it? . . . wherein two of our hosts determine that they are two halves of a politician. -- -- -- Promo: Join Us for Killing IT Live - October 20th Info and registration at killingitlive.com No editing. No second takes. Join hosts Dave Sobel, Ryan Morris, and Karl Palachuk for this special live event. You’ll see behind the curtains as we prep and produce a live show. PLUS, we’ll stick around and answer questions so YOU can be part of the show as well. We’ll record an episode of the podcast for you — broadcast live with video! -- -- -- Topic 1: Amazon’s bi-annual report on government requests for data . . . Over 30,000 requests for information from various governments around the world for the six months ending June 30th. This includes subpoenas, search warrants, and court orders (or their equivalent in various countries). This includes requests regarding Amazon Echos, Ring devices, etc. It does NOT include requests related to AWS, which only numbered 632! The number of devices with your personal information, photos, and data is growing every year. Remember, that robot dog serves more than one master. Topic 2: Is Facebook’s problem just “hubris?” We can fix this! “I don't think the Facebook Files show a company that is evil or incompetent. It seems to show a company that is in way too deep, but still thinks it can totally get things back under control.” Topic 3: CISA Issues Guidance to Mitigate Threats to Autonomous Vehicles CISA has published more guidance. Once lesson is: MSPs are not their only target. Another Lesson: Emerging tech is being held to some reasonable standards. Links: -- -- -- Remember to sign up for Killing IT Live - free! Killing IT Live - October 20th Info and registration at :-)
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Episode 132 - Vendor Sales, Government UI, and Instagram for Children
10/05/2021
Episode 132 - Vendor Sales, Government UI, and Instagram for Children
Question of the Day: What was your first W2 job? Topic 1: Vendors Selling Around their Partners Listener Lucy asks: "Why the **** do vendors keep overlooking the sales rep who owns the customer in their Channel program?" There's natural tension between vendors and their solution provider partners. Why do we have to keep revisiting this topic? (Also, she agrees with Dave that a sandwich requires two pieces of bread.) Topic 2: Thoughts on taking UI to government activities Dominos (and other) have made some huge advancements in tracking the progress of their services. This is both a UI (user interface) and a CX (customer experience) topic. So where is the government when it comes to next-gen UI and CX? Link: Topic 3: Facebook/Instagram for Children? Holy smokes. Thankfully, Facebook has decided to "hold off" on releasing a version of Instagram geared toward children. We universally think it's a bad idea. But we also point out that lots of other platforms are targeting children - illegally. Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Think you know PC Matic? Think again. PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security. Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allow-listing. Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency. Find out more about by visiting . Be sure to ask about PC Matic’s exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign. :-)
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Episode: 131 - AI Breaking Bad, CISA Revisited, and More
09/28/2021
Episode: 131 - AI Breaking Bad, CISA Revisited, and More
Question of the Day: What is a photo? Topic 1: When AI Breaks Bad Once again we address the question of ethics and AI. From Axios: "A new report about artificial intelligence and its effects warns AI has reached a turning point and its negative effects can no longer be ignored." Have we reached the point where we should automatically look for the negative effects first? Link: Topic 2: Let’s look at CISA . . . again. Last week we talked about the CISA advice for your customers. Here we revisit, and look at the “Low fruit” considerations that you might actually decide to adopt today. These include Backup documentation, Client data segregation, and Financial health of IT service providers. Link: See also Karl's blog posts on this: - - Topic 3: Next Gen Crowd Sourcing? Pondering . . . is there a new name for the group behavior that's emerging on the Internet in the 2020's? For example: - TikTok investors follow members of Congress - Reddit investors manipulate the stock market - Amateur sleuths help in the search for missing persons Question: Is there a name for this kind of activity? It seems like there's something other than "crowd sourcing" here. Link: Sponsor Memo: Did you know that the average MSP spends 10 hours manually inputting accounting data each week? That time is 120 prospect calls, a month’s worth of the Business of Tech, or building an entire Lego death star. Gozynta Mobius can make your life easier through accounting automation. Automatic sync of invoices, expenses and inventory from ConnectWise Manage into QuickBooks Online in just a single click of a button. With onboarding, direct support, and regular feature releases, Gozynta is a family owned company dedicated to making software suck a little less each day. Visit us at :-)
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Episode 130 - Apple Pay (Again) and Employee Productivity in Remote Work
09/21/2021
Episode 130 - Apple Pay (Again) and Employee Productivity in Remote Work
Question of the day: What is a sandwich? Topic 1: Apple Pay . . . Again The headline says Apple lost … but the article makes it clear that Epic is the one who is disappointed and is appealing. Let see: Epic violated their agreement and owes Apply $3.5 Million. But Apply can’t have those kinds of agreements going forward. And Apple’s not a monopoly. Seems confusing, but it does mean there will be other options to pay for in-app purchases on AppStore apps to work around Apple. But Epic still doesn’t think that is enough. Let the lawyer games begin. Link: Topic 2: Microsoft Study Finds Problems with Employee Productivity in Remote Work In a study or more than 60,000 employees, Microsoft find that the shift to remote work has hurt communication and collaboration. A separate study shows that individual workers feel better supported by bosses than ever before. The first finding looks bad for employee productivity and long-term innovation; the second suggest happier, more productive workers. Note: Microsoft also announce that employees won’t be returning to the office in October as expected. Link: Topic 3: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Could Now Impact a Business’ Credit Rating … Things are Getting Serious! Startup BitSight generates reports on the likelihood that an organization will be breached. They just received a $250 million investment Moody’s. Moody's provides corporate "credit rating" information. In your future: Credit ratings base on Cybersecurity preparedness. Link: Sponsor note: Threats to client data constantly evolve, so your strategies must evolve too …but knowing where to get good guidance isn’t always easy. Well, nowhere will you hear more helpful insights from leading cyber protection experts than at the Acronis #CyberFitSummit. I’m going again –this year in-person, in Miami – and you should join me. Experts like Erick Simpson; Larry Walsh; and Acronis’ Amy Luby will show you how to boost profits, reduce risk, and improve your team’s productivity, as well as the latest cybersecurity strategies, technologies, and processes. In person and online, Learn more about the Acronis #CyberFit Summit World Tour at :-)
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Episode 129 - CISA Weighs In - Good or Bad?
09/14/2021
Episode 129 - CISA Weighs In - Good or Bad?
Topic 1: CISA Guidelines for MSP Clients Like it or not, the US Government has defined Managed Services, and published guidelines for your clients and prospects to evaluate you! We expect a lot of heat - and maybe some light - to come out of this document. Related Links: - - Topic 2: Forcing options to Apple Pay and Google Pay In the continuing saga of Apple (and others) forcing app developers to use their pay systems, the government of South Korea has decided that Apple and Google cannot force game makers and others to use only their payment gateways. This is, of course, the beginning of other nations jumping into fray. We comment - including how this might affect potential lawsuits in the US. Link: - Topic 3: Tesla building their own chip to train self-driving vehicles What? Tesla joins the chip-making industry - because they can't buy the chips they need! Is this a sign of impending disruption for Intel, AMD, and others? Tesla has a unique demand, given the specific requirements of their autonomous vehicle strategy. And if they can't buy chips elsewhere, they're going to make their own - for now. Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Think you know PC Matic? Think again. PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security. Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allowlisting. Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency. Find out more about by visiting Be sure to ask about PC Matic's exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign. :-)
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Episode 128 - Gartner's Latest Hype for Emerging Tech and more
09/07/2021
Episode 128 - Gartner's Latest Hype for Emerging Tech and more
Topic 1: Gartner's Latest Hype Cycle - Emerging Technology How can you use Gartner's research in your business? Does it matter if truly useful changes are at least two years out? Gartner Hype cycle graphic: Topic 2: AI for Changing Accents Is this cool? What are the best uses for it? And, as always, we dig into the ethical use of AI. There are clearly some benefits for folks with hearing issues or rare spoken dialects. As always, good-vs-bad depends on what people do with the application. Topic 3: Impact of Remote Collaboration on Business Travel This topic will continue for quite a while. Here's the latest from Bloomberg. Remote communications and collaboration tools have been so successfully developed and deployed in the past 18 months that 84% of CEOs indicate they plan to spend significantly less on business travel going forward. -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Egnyte Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out , and when you do, tell them we sent you. :-)
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Episode 127 - Immutable Storage, Shadow IT, and Extra-Large Micro-Processors
08/31/2021
Episode 127 - Immutable Storage, Shadow IT, and Extra-Large Micro-Processors
Topic 1: Change the storage to change ransomware? Can you create storage that cannot be changed? Is ransomware-free data storage possible . . . and right around the corner? Related Link: Topic 2: Shadow IT: Is it Real? Not real? Are you the shadow IT? Does it really just mean outsourced IT? And that leads us to ask, is the conversation about shadow IT really just a conversation for really large companies? Related Link: Topic 3: A New Chip Cluster Will Make Massive AI Models Possible Cerebras says its technology can run a neural network with 120 trillion connections—a hundred times what's achievable today. Related Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: SBT Technology Community This podcast is sponsored by the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community. Check us out at Small Biz Thoughts.org. Forms, templates, and checklists are just the start. Our Community includes ALL of the best-selling books on managed services in all available formats, plus free training, members-only programs, and the best business training available to managed service providers anywhere. Plus, we have weekly live members-only Zoom calls. The average member saves more than 200% of their membership cost each year. We are totally dedicated to YOUR success. Just because you're in business for yourself doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Join us today at . :-)
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Episode 126 - Privacy, Supply Chains, and Industry Trends
08/24/2021
Episode 126 - Privacy, Supply Chains, and Industry Trends
Topic 1: Apple Privacy Revisited We talked about this last week. Well, so did everyone else. Apple introduced a new technology to screen for child pornography . . . and a spirited debate has ensued. Last week the Killing IT guys weighed in on the topic and now we want to revisit the ongoing debate and address some of the concerns about the “slippery slope” and the “permission” to access data on personal devices. Including some new twists on CSAM Screening Technology. Topic 2: Evolution in Supply Chain Management Toyota is famous for revolutionizing supply chain management, particularly with "Just-in-Time" inventory. Now, fifty years down the road, we're finding that J-I-T had a lot of problems in the middle of the pandemic. Now, Toyota is responding again with a newer, more flexible approach to inventory. We look at supply chain issues generally, with a context of cars, chips, and toilet paper. Topic 3: CRN Reports on Industry Trends . . . But they're headlines don't align with their data. We were puzzled at the need to put extra energy into cheer-leading as compared to reporting the hard truth. We discuss. Sponsor Memo: Acronis Threats to client data constantly evolve, so your strategies must evolve too …but knowing where to get good guidance isn’t always easy. Well, nowhere will you hear more helpful insights from leading cyber protection experts than at the Acronis #CyberFitSummit. I’m going again –this year in-person, in Miami – and you should join me. Experts like Erick Simpson; Larry Walsh; and Acronis’ Amy Luby will show you how to boost profits, reduce risk, and improve your team’s productivity, as well as the latest cybersecurity strategies, technologies, and processes. In person and online. Learn more about the Acronis #CyberFit Summit World Tour at -- -- -- :-)
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Episode 125 - Drone Delays, Data Misuse, and Apple Privacy
08/17/2021
Episode 125 - Drone Delays, Data Misuse, and Apple Privacy
Topic 1: Drones.. May not be coming. We've been ushering drones for years. But where are they? Why in the age of the drone advancing so slowly? Amazon is slowing things down a bit. Topic 2: What should the penalty be for data misuse? Data misuse is a growing topic. In addition to the recent Supreme Court case, we're seeing companies make pre-emptive moves to make sure employees are not accessing data they have access to. This is a potentially huge issue for IT service providers. After all, we touch lots of client data, and our employees need to keep their eyes to themselves. Topic 3: Apple to Scan the iCloud for Evidence of Child Sexual Abuse No one’s going to argue with the goals here. But what’s next? Once the system is put in place to scan the contents of iCloud, will Apple resist looking for other illegal activity? Will the IRS pressure them to look for activity that indicated tax evasion? If nothing else, it’s a chink in the armor of “privacy by default.” Sponsor Memo: PC Matic Think you know PC Matic? Think again. PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security. Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allow-listing. Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency. Find out more about by visiting Be sure to ask about PC Matic's exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign. :-)
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Episode 124 - AI Marketing and Bias, Boards and Cybersecurity, and Detecting Deep Fakes
08/10/2021
Episode 124 - AI Marketing and Bias, Boards and Cybersecurity, and Detecting Deep Fakes
Topic 1: The Disconnect Between Marketing, AI, and Reality AI is awesome . . . until it's not. We look at the need for transparency with AI data. How do you challenge AI bias in court? Should IA data be used in legal cases? Most importantly, how do YOU make money helping your clients with AI? Topic 2: Board Incentives and Cybersecurity How should (could) boards of directors stay up to date on cybersecurity? Is it even possible for boards to stay up to spec if it's not their primary area of expertise? How can boards do something to gain the knowledge they need for corporate governance? Again: What role can YOU play in helping client boards know what matters in an ever-changing world? Topic 3: Spy vs. Spy - How do we track deep fakes at scale? Can we look forward to a future of "verified" video and stories? It would be a combination of technology plus data distributor agreements, plus audience desire for reality. Is there an opportunity for you in this field? Sponsor Memo: Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out and when you do, tell them the guys from Killing IT sent you. :-)
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Episode 123 - Alternative solution stacks, Work-life balance, and QR code privacy
08/03/2021
Episode 123 - Alternative solution stacks, Work-life balance, and QR code privacy
Topic 1: Why is there derision for "alternative" solution stacks? Dave asks . . . why do people like to put down Chromebooks and Macs? Do they actually love their Windows-centric world? We have fun, and we hope we make some points worth considering in a modern world. Link: Topic 2: Forget work/life balance: Now get back to work. Last week, Mary Erdoes (chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase asset and wealth management business) laid it on the line: If you want to be successful in the world of banking, you should expect to work 12-hour days, six days a week. Period. Her argument is that you can get your desired ten thousand hours of training in a few years. She doesn't mention that you'll probably destroy your family and develop life-long habits that will literally kill you much younger than people who have more balance in their lives. Link: Related article: The boss wants you back in the office. Now. Related web site: Topic 3: QR Codes Finally Found a Foothold in the Pandemic. Now let’s talk privacy. Restaurants adopted e-menu technology en masse during the pandemic. Scan the QR code, and browse the menu. And pay. All good. But you have just placed a data-gathering and marketing system between you and your food. Yes, we have opinions. Link: Sponsor Note: Did you know that the average MSP spends 10 hours manually inputting accounting data each week? That time is 120 prospect calls, a month’s worth of the Business of Tech, or building an entire Lego death star. Gozynta Mobius can make your life easier through accounting automation. Automatic sync of invoices, expenses and inventory from ConnectWise Manage into QuickBooks Online in just a single click of a button. With onboarding, direct support, and regular feature releases, Gozynta is a family owned company dedicated to making software suck a little less each day. Visit us at :-)
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Episode 122 - China Takes on Cybersecurity; TikTok Resumes; and Undisclosed Facial Recognition
07/27/2021
Episode 122 - China Takes on Cybersecurity; TikTok Resumes; and Undisclosed Facial Recognition
Topic 1: The Impact of China on the Cybersecurity Industry & Data Protection China was on both sides of the cybersecurity story last week. On one hand, they were accused by the whole world of orchestrating the attack on Exchange servers. On the other hand, they starting cracking down on cybersecurity internally. This also has direct implications for US companies selling into China. What will be the impact of these moves on the US security market and our domestic business operations? Links: Topic 2: Another New Application for Video: TikTok Resumes TikTok had introduce a "Resume" service. Will you go there for your next hire? Could video essays be the next thing in hiring? Through July 31, job seekers can upload video resumes with the hashtag #tiktokresumes. Is this just a Gen Z thing? Topic 3: Toronto airport tests facial recognition software . . . without disclosing it For several years, the Province of Ottowa tested facial recognition in crowds at the airport. What are the disclosure rules? What’s the ethics here? -- -- -- Vendor Memo: Did you know that the average MSP spends 10 hours manually inputting accounting data each week? That time is 120 prospect calls, a month’s worth of the Business of Tech, or building an entire lego death star. Gozynta Mobius can make your life easier through accounting automation. Automatic sync of invoices, expenses and inventory from ConnectWise Manage into QuickBooks Online in just a single click of a button. With onboarding, direct support, and regular feature releases, Gozynta is a family owned company dedicated to making software suck a little less each day. Visit us at :-)
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Episode 121 - RIP RMM? NP Tires. And shorter work weeks.
07/20/2021
Episode 121 - RIP RMM? NP Tires. And shorter work weeks.
Topic 1: Revising RMM - Ready for Disruption? Question - Is the problem super sophisticated and difficult or crazy simple and easy? We summarize a few arguments as well as look at the next topic: IOS. One of us is ready to drop RMM; one is not; and the tie goes to . . .. Links: Topic 2: Next Generation of Tires . . . on a 3D printed shuttle bus This one's a fun story about several future-facing technologies working together. First question: Why did it take 120 years to make airless tires that work? Second question: Can we see what this means for the future of the support industry for tires? Link: Topic 3: Shorter Work Week Experiment in Iceland Produces “Groundbreaking Improvements” Karl loves the conclusion but can't accept research. But we jump on the opportunities for workers, management, and companies of various sizes. Link: -- -- -- Vendor Memo: Think you know PC Matic? Think again. PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security. Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allow listing. Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency. Find out more about by visiting Be sure to ask about PC Matic's exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign. :-)
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Episode 120 - Riffing on Cybersecurity and the IT Industry
07/13/2021
Episode 120 - Riffing on Cybersecurity and the IT Industry
Episode 120 - Riffing on Cybersecurity and the IT Industry After the Kaseya attack, there really was nothing else to talk about. In a slightly different format, we take the full show to just enjoy a totally unrehearsed discussion of the state of cybersecurity and what it means for the IT industry. Lots of opinions here. Give us your feedback. Share with a friend. Always more good Killing IT Podcasts at Vendor memo: Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions? Modernize your cybersecurity and data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It’s a single solution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management. As an MSP, you can easily improve clients’ security posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue. Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at . :-)
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Episode 119 - Neuro Diversity, Robo Cops, and Big Tech
07/06/2021
Episode 119 - Neuro Diversity, Robo Cops, and Big Tech
Topic 1: Neuro Diversity - a different approach to thinking about thinking. We're always looking for people who think differently. But we also put some serious limits on how different we are willing to accept. In this article, TechCrunch looks at the idea of inviting a wider variety of people into the world of cybersecurity hiring. Link: Topic 2: Are robo cops actually doing anything to reduce crime? It doesn't look like it. Maybe Robots AREN’T the answer. Calls to 911 have gone down. But crime hasn't. Is there still some good to tease out of this story? Link: Topic 3: Tech Giant Battles - Lots of updates this week! Case dropped against Facebook over Instagram and What’s App. Somewhat unrelated: “Non-Agression Pact” between Google and Microsoft means they’ll each help the government go after the other. Also somewhat unrelated: Amazon asks FTB Chair to sit this one out. Links: -- -- -- Vendor Memo: Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out , and when you do, tell them we sent you. :-)
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Episode 118 - Apple Healthcare; Privacy Agency; Measuring Joy
06/29/2021
Episode 118 - Apple Healthcare; Privacy Agency; Measuring Joy
Topic 1: Apple Healthcare. Are you onboard? Apple is considering direct health care. So, they're testing out a service with their own employees. Of course it all started with data. Now they're connecting devices and data to actual hands-on clinical care. Are you comfortable with this care from an IT company? If so, is Apple the company? Link: - Topic 2: Do we need a Federal Agency for Data Privacy? Proposed legislation would create a data privacy agency for the United States. Good? Bad? Or just ugly? We discuss. Once again, we note that legislation and compliance are the wave of the future. Link: - Topic 3: Can AI Measure Joy? Talkwalker is a company that uses AI to help find information across the Internet using artificial intelligence. Now they've applied their technology to evaluate how much users love specific brands. We list the big results, but also focus on a fun result: Choosing a much-loved brewery. Quote: “The brewery scored more than 15 points in the category defined by artificial intelligence-identified expressions of joy. Average Joy Score for the top 50 most loved brands was 4.” Links: - - -- -- -- Vendor Memo: This podcast is sponsored by the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community. Check us out at . Forms, templates, and checklists are just the start. Our Community includes ALL of the best-selling books on managed services in all available formats, plus free training, members-only programs, and the best business training available to managed service providers anywhere. Plus, we have weekly live members-only Zoom calls. The average member saves more than 200% of their membership cost each year. We are totally dedicated to YOUR success. Just because you're in business for yourself doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Join us today at . :-)
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Episode 117 - Is Security Possible? And Getting Back to The Office
06/22/2021
Episode 117 - Is Security Possible? And Getting Back to The Office
Topic 1: Is "Patch and Zero Trust" Even Possible? What does doing something different look like? How much do we need to rethink all this? Or, perhaps, is it possible to provide appropriate security at the small end of the market but impossible at the enterprise level? With the explosion of IOT, security may in fact be impossible. If that's true, what else can we do? Link: Topic 2: Status update on getting back to the Office This is still an evolving story. Workers would like to stay home more; managers would like them to be in the office more. This might be the biggest change to come out of the pandemic/recession of 2020-2021. Link: Topic 3: Amazon "burning through" employees What does this tell us about Amazon? And since they are a massive employer, does this massive turnover affect the larger employment market? Employee churn is so high that some Amazon execs are reportedly worried about running out of people. Links: -- -- -- Vendor Memo: Did you know that the average MSP spends 10 hours manually inputting accounting data each week? That time is 120 prospect calls, a month’s worth of the Business of Tech, or building an entire lego death star. Gozynta Mobius can make your life easier through accounting automation. Automatic sync of invoices, expenses and inventory from ConnectWise Manage into QuickBooks Online in just a single click of a button. With onboarding, direct support, and regular feature releases, Gozynta is a family owned company dedicated to making software suck a little less each day. Visit us at :-)
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Episode 116 - FBI Kicks Serious Cyber-Butt, and the AI Wall of Shame
06/15/2021
Episode 116 - FBI Kicks Serious Cyber-Butt, and the AI Wall of Shame
Topic 1: FBI Creates Their own App to Snag Hundreds of Bad Guys Around the World Yes - we use the word “Badass.” We know you've heard about this one by now. But it's the biggest cyber story of the year, so we have to cover it. Great article/press release from the FBI. A few summary notes: 800 arrests; 8 tons of cocaine; 22 tons of marijuana; 2 tons of methamphetamine/amphetamine; 6 tons of precursor chemicals; 250 firearms; and more than $48 million in various worldwide currencies. On top of that, the FBI has initiated dozens of public corruption cases. . . . and MORE! Topic 2: AI Hall of Shame Great new resource to help AI stay on the right side of "ethics." The actual artificial intelligence database is at https://incidentdatabase.ai. This is intended to be a resource to remind us all that AI honestly has a potentially evil side that we need to keep track of. The database: Topic 3: Supreme Court Rules on Computer Fraud and Abuse Act The ruling is, basically, that misusing a computer to which you have access is different from using a computer beyond the level of access you are supposed to have. The said that a police officer didn’t “hack” any part of the computer system. He merely used the computer he had access to to do something he shouldn’t have done. Note two things. First, we have really old laws written before the web existed, and they are being used to regulate today’s behavior. Second, the courts, as a rule, do not understand what we do for a living. WE need to be involved in the way our industry is regulated. -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions? Modernize your cybersecurity and data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It’s a single solution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management. As an MSP, you can easily improve clients’ security posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue. Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at . :-)
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Episode 115 - Sharing your Bandwidth and Serious AI Questions
06/08/2021
Episode 115 - Sharing your Bandwidth and Serious AI Questions
Topic 1: Amazon devices will soon automatically share your Internet with neighbors. Amazon introduces "sidewalk" network sharing. This feature is ON by default. At this point, Amazon's new mesh network sharing is experimental. How do you feel about that? Is this OK from Apple but not from Amazon? Read in Ars Technica: Topic 2: The Era of the Digital Leash is well on its way. Now add some AI analysis. Bosses putting a 'digital leash' on remote workers could be crossing a privacy line. We've reported about watching both students and employees. Now we find this constant monitoring moving into warehouses and more types of employees. We seriously question whether this is a good thing. Read in CNBC: Topic 3: Emotion-tracking AI. Even if we can, should we? Emotion-detection AI meets eye-tracking technology. A major merger claims to be able to tell how you're feeling (when driving). The really interesting question is, what other applications could use this technology? AI that can recognize emotions has the ability to bring us more-social robots as well as improve customer service chatbots. The emerging question with AI seems to be: Should we? Read in ZDNet: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Think you know PC Matic? Think again. PC Matic is working with MSPs to deliver true zero trust/default deny endpoint security. Allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. A light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allowlisting. Layering a default deny approach provides MSPs of all sizes the ability to again focus on prevention, and PC Matic delivers this without impacting performance or efficiency. Find out more about by visiting Be sure to ask about PC Matic's exclusive lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign. :-)
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Episode 114 - Google's MUM, 911 Drones, and Ethical Obligation
06/01/2021
Episode 114 - Google's MUM, 911 Drones, and Ethical Obligation
Topic 1: Google Replaces Bert with MUM At I/O 2021, Google introduced MUM — Multitask United Model. According to Google, this new language model is 1000 times more powerful than BERT, the search engine they released in 2019. MUM is coming to Google products sometime in the future. Note: BERT = Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. Did BERT change your life two years ago? Will you actually notice the move to MUM? Topic 2: Drones as first response to 911 calls. The Chula Vista police drones can now cover 100% Of of the City For Emergency Calls. And they are deploying drones at "first response" to emergency calls. Of course the drones have video recording and two-way communications. Channel note: Go get some of this money! Topic 3: Forum topic - Ethical vs Contractual obligation Warning: Tough discussion of ethics in business. What do you and your clients owe each other? Can you limit your client relationships to transactions? And in the area of security, can you actually inform clients enough that they can make good decisions to operate at a lower level of security? How do we begin to talk about standards around these conversations? It's fine to say "Buyer beware" - but only if the buyer has some chance of understanding what that really means. -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out . And when you do, tell them we sent you. :-)
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Episode 113 - Cryto Currency Insanity, and Video Cards that Aren’t Graphics Cards
05/25/2021
Episode 113 - Cryto Currency Insanity, and Video Cards that Aren’t Graphics Cards
Topic 1: Does the obvious stupidity in the Crypto-verse help to increase or decrease the adoption of crypo currencies? A bit of crypto news this week. But on the serious side, what does this activity mean? Elon Musk makes fun of crypto currencies and the market goes wild (down). Dogecoin created as a joke. Now it's going crazy. Then two winners created a spinoff coin because “people seem to like dogs” and became millionaires. Topic 2: Ann Arbor to Launch Autonomous Shuttle Service October 11th But there's one already operating in Fairfax, VA. We have some questions about the experience . . . and we send Dave off to do some homework. Topic 3: Lower hash rates, and video cards that aren’t graphics cards. NVidia is finally making some moves to tackle the shortage of video cards despite the continuing chip shortage. They're designing video cards with lower hash rates, so they're not attractive to crypto-miners. And they're creating cards designed for mining with actual video output. We'll see what competitors do, and how quickly this has a visible effect on graphic card availability for plain old gamers. -- -- -- Sponsor Memo - Did you know that the average MSP spends 10 hours manually inputting accounting data each week? That time is 120 prospect calls, a month’s worth of the Business of Tech, or building an entire Lego death star. Gozynta Mobius can make your life easier through accounting automation. Automatic sync of invoices, expenses and inventory from ConnectWise Manage into QuickBooks Online in just a single click of a button. With onboarding, direct support, and regular feature releases, Gozynta is a family owned company dedicated to making software suck a little less each day. Visit us at :-)
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Episode 112 - AI in the Military, Colonial Pipeline, and Discriminatory NDAs
05/18/2021
Episode 112 - AI in the Military, Colonial Pipeline, and Discriminatory NDAs
Topic 1: Military practices controlling hundreds of robots and drones at once - with AI Like it or not, AI is coming to military operations. It might be cheaper, but is it safer? But is the reliance on AI a problem? Links: Topic 2: What can we learn from the Colonial Pipeline hack? How should companies respond? And are there real consequences for companies that get hacked? We discuss. Topic 3: Proposed law says discriminatory behavior should not be subject to non-disclosure agreements. Is the NDA … too much? Ifeoma Ozoma is a technology policy expert with experience leading global public policy efforts at Pinterest, Facebook and Google. When she left Pinterest, she couldn't tell anyone that she left over complaints she had filed about wage discrimination and retaliation. She could not speak out because the company non-disclosure agreement forbid it. Now she is pushing legislation to make it illegal to include this kind of behavior in NDAs. After all, NDAs are intended to protect intellectual property, not potentially illegal behavior. Link: :-) -- -- -- Sponsor Memo - Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions? Modernize your cybersecurity and data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It’s a single solution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management. As an MSP, you can easily improve clients’ security posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue. Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at . :-)
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Episode 111 - Hacking Waze, Cookies by Drone, and Discussing Diversity
05/11/2021
Episode 111 - Hacking Waze, Cookies by Drone, and Discussing Diversity
Topic 1: Burger King diverts McDonalds customers - via Waze This one is kinda cool because it's so sneaky. With just a taste of big data. When people are close to a McDonalds billboard and headed toward a restaurant, Waze lures them off to a Burger King instead. Just sneaky, or actually immoral? Link: Topic 2: Girl Scout Cookies by Drone Not a burrito or pizza. But it's pretty cool to get your cookies by drone. Makes us ponder: Are there things you would actually pay a premium to get via drone? We're thinking yes for cookies, and probably no for a ream of paper. Link: Topic 3: Basecamp Fumbles the Diversity and Inclusion Conversation Background: Some folks at Basecamp were doing something stupid (keeping a list of customer names to make fun of). That led to a discussion of appropriate behavior. But that discussion was cut off from the top. Some employees were still unhappy, and vocal about it. That led to an offer of a severance package for anyone who didn't like it. Well, about one third of the company decided to leave! Link: Sponsor Memo: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting . :-)
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Episode 110 - Hacked Ice Cream Machine and Right to Repair
05/04/2021
Episode 110 - Hacked Ice Cream Machine and Right to Repair
Topic 1: Hacked Ice Cream Makers at McDonalds A very strange right to repair! If you buy an expensive machine, do you have the right to buy a third-party add-on that makes it work better? Topic 2: EU looking to regulate “High-Risk” AI High risk determined in two steps by considering whether it may cause certain harms and, if so, the severity of the possible harm and the probability of occurrence. Possible damages include - death of a person - damage of property - systemic adverse impacts for society at large - adverse impact on financial, educational or professional opportunities of persons - adverse impact on the access to public services and any form of public assistance - adverse impact on [European] fundamental rights Topic 3: Apple Announces AirTags. Do you care? Apple’s new AirTags just launched with tracking and location data … and they’ve also thought ahead to include an “anti-stalker” feature to protect your privacy. Sponsor Note: Want to learn about Trends in Managed Services, increasing sales, governance or winning in Biopharma? How about an MSP peer panel, or CompTIA’s Carolyn April with their latest research in managed services trends? Egnyte’s first annual MSP summit is coming May 11th, keynoted by Karl Palachuk on setting a cloud strategy. The first 300 attendees even get a copy of Karl’s book on becoming a Successful MSP in 30 days! Win prizes, network with peers, all in a half day online event. Register for free right at :-)
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Episode 109 - Offensive Tech Jargon, Facial Recognition Update, and Geo-Location Ethics
04/27/2021
Episode 109 - Offensive Tech Jargon, Facial Recognition Update, and Geo-Location Ethics
Topic 1: Racist (and other offensive) Tech Jargon Words matter. The most obvious example is "master/slave" but there's plenty of other insensitive terminology around. Remember, these terms might make sense to you, but you clients may hear it and wonder exactly what you're talking about. Link: Topic 2: Facial Recognition Update. Facial Recognition has evolved considerably in the pandemic. It has been banned in a few places. It has been regulated a bit at the local (not federal) level. Amateurs are now getting in the game (e.g., Used to identify police during protests). And the police have adopted it for several purposes, including identifying protesters. It is over-used in China, and illegal in Portland. Big picture: Don’t rely on tech for the answer. Looks to society and local governments. Topic 3: The ethics of geo-location technology. The "Ethical Geo" web site has posted ten founding principles to begin a worldwide conversation about using geo-location technology from an ethical perspective. The ten founding principles presented to the public for further input and refinement are: Realize opportunities Understand impacts Do no harm Protect the vulnerable Address bias Minimize intrusion Minimize data Protect privacy Prevent identification of individuals Provide accountability We discuss. Links: Launch related video webinar - Sponsor Memo: Want to learn about Trends in Managed Services, increasing sales, governance or winning in Biopharma? How about an MSP peer panel, or CompTIA’s Carolyn April with their latest research in managed services trends? Egnyte’s first annual MSP summit is coming May 11th, keynoted by Karl Palachuk on setting a cloud strategy. The first 300 attendees even get a copy of Karl’s book on becoming a Successful MSP in 30 days! Win prizes, network with peers, all in a half day online event. Register for free right at :-)
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Episode 108 - AI on Fiverr, Millions of IOT Devices Compromised, and More
04/20/2021
Episode 108 - AI on Fiverr, Millions of IOT Devices Compromised, and More
Topic 1: Will Bots Take Jobs? AI Robots are coming for your jobs! Or - in a much more realistic interpretation, they are coming to reduce the amount of mundane process work that humans do so they can focus on interpersonal stuff that robots can’t do. We take a mostly positive spin on this one. Related Link: Topic 2: 100 Million IOT Devices Compromised Scary fact: As the number of deployed devices continues to grow exponentially, the size of these incidents will also continue to grow. This will also have an effect on our liability insurance and state/provincial legislation. Related Link: Facebook group mentioned: MSP Regulation and Legislation = Topic 3: Data programming and analytics on Fiverr This is the gig-afying of some very cool new skills. This is an area where we think IT service providers can make some good money. Fiverr is at - Now offering database development, data analytics, machine learning, and more. See specifically . Book Mentioned: by Daniel Pink -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions? Modernize your cybersecurity and data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It’s a single solution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management. As an MSP, you can easily improve clients’ security posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue. Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at . :-)
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Episode 107 - Best Practices, Ingram/Harmony, and Water Cooled Servers
04/13/2021
Episode 107 - Best Practices, Ingram/Harmony, and Water Cooled Servers
Topic 1: Should you rely on best practices? We return to the question of what ARE best practices and how you define them. But more than that, should you be following other peoples' so-called best practices? Stop leaning on best practices, and experiment! Related Link: Topic 2: Distributor Ingram Micro Buys Harmony PSA. First, do you care? Second, is this a good move? Would you be tempted to a PSA owned by one of your distributors? Related Links: Topic 3: Submerged Servers. Like, IN the water. Last year Microsoft completed a test of sealed server data centers at the bottom of the ocean. But they kep the water on the outside of the tank. Now they're developing a non-conductive liquid so they can cool servers by submerging them altogether. Related Link: Sponsor Memo: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting :-)
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Episode 106 - Multicloud, Deep Fakes, AI, and More
04/06/2021
Episode 106 - Multicloud, Deep Fakes, AI, and More
Topic 1: Stop Talking About Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud It's time to take this seriously and talk about Integration. As always, we take a stab at the terminology used by our industry and ponder about what's really going on. We all love jargon, but it's important to dig a little a figure out what's really being discussed. Related Link: Topic 2: Detecting Deef Fake Videos with AI Scientists developed a clever way to detect deep fakes by analyzing light reflections in the eyes Related Link: Book to note: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Topic 3: Next Up - Open AI that doesn’t require massive compute power New AI project can generate convincing text that anyone can use. The makers of Eleuther hope it will be an open source alternative to GPT-3, the well-known language program from OpenAI. The Eleuther project makes use of distributed computing resources, donated by cloud company CoreWeave as well as Google, through the TensorFlow Research Cloud, an initiative that makes spare computer power available. Related Link: Book to note: Flash Foresight by Daniel Burrus. -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: Today's show is brought to you by US! Please check out Dave's Business of Tech podcast. Daily five minute podcasts, plus weekly recaps, video, and more. Visit . Also check out Karl's SMB Community Podcast, a weekly 30-minute interview format with some of the most interesting people in the SMB IT Community. Visit . :-)
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Episode 105 - Cops and Robots, Distributors and Bitcoin
03/30/2021
Episode 105 - Cops and Robots, Distributors and Bitcoin
Topic 1: Cops and Robots Move to stop NYC police from using armed robots. Note: The police do not own any armed robots, but they do own some robots. So this is totally a preventive measure. We previously discussed the use of AI and facial recognition by police departments. The question here is, when do we begin the conversation (before or after deployment)? Related Link: Topic 2: Is Bitcoin mining compatible with Singapore’s green initiatives? Bitcoin mining uses about the same amount electricity as Norway! Now Singapore is questioning whether this non-green factor is consistent with their go-green policies. Meanwhile . . . Bank of America says there’s no reason to use Bitcoin. Ethereum has more features. And Ethereum is easier to manage if you’re interested in De-Fi (decentralized finance). BofA released a report last week entitled “8 Dirty Little Secrets of Bitcoin.” See the slideshow link below. Related Links: Topic 3: Tech Data-Synnex merger - Does this matter to IT consultants? Tech distributors Synnex and Tech Data are merging. Karl is surprised this took so long. But, in the big picture, does this affect you? SaaS companies have been taking distributors (and partners) out of the equation for many years. The cloud is moving servers into data centers, who frequently bypass distributors. Cloud services are more effectively sold by Sherweb, AppRiver, Intermedia, Pax8, etc. Were you surprised? Give us your feedback. Related Links: ChannelE2E Announcement re: Synnex / Tech Data Merger CRN Slideshow re: D&H Response to Synnex / Tech Data Merger -- -- -- Sponsor Memo - Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out , and when you do, tell them we sent you. :-)
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