UnHacked - Cybersecurity Made Simple for Small Businesses

Phoenix IT Advisors

When Russian hackers break into your business’s computers, what will they find and how much will it cost you? How long will it take you to recover? Can you recover? Here’s the sad truth: 97% of breaches could have been prevented with basic security measures; but once you’ve been hit… you can never get UnHacked! UnHacked is a weekly cybersecurity podcast for SMB business owners and leaders that helps them sort through the overwhelming security costs and recommendations, and focus on the best practices that give the highest ROI.

  1. 5d ago

    89. Your AI Is Lying to You (And You'd Never Know): How to Prompt Smarter Before It Costs You

    Hosts: Justin Shelley – Phoenix IT Advisors: https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/Mario Zaki – Mazteck IT: https://www.mazteck.com/Bryan Lachapelle – B4 Networks: https://www.b4networks.ca/Joshua Holloway – https://7thdi.com/ Most business owners are using AI every single day — and most of them are doing it wrong. Not because they're not smart, but because nobody ever showed them the difference between Googling a question and actually working with AI. In this episode of Unhacked, Justin, Mario, Bryan, and Josh break down the AI prompting frameworks that separate vague, hit-or-miss results from sharp, professional-grade outputs. Josh walks through the PTCF framework (Persona, Task, Context, Format) live — and the results speak for themselves: a generic prompt produced a 12-page document. The same request, properly framed, produced a 24-page, policy-ready incident response playbook. The hosts also get real about AI's dark side: hallucinations that send you to the grocery store for the wrong ingredients, wrong time zone answers delivered with total confidence, and why blindly trusting AI output in a business context can be genuinely dangerous. Plus: a live walkthrough of Hatz, a secure AI platform designed specifically for business environments, and a practical challenge to get you building your own custom AI assistant before next week. If you think AI is already working well enough for you — this episode will change your mind.

    51 min

  2. May 21

    88. Garbage In, Business Gone: Using AI Productively Without Handing Hackers the Keys

    Hosts: Justin Shelley — https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/Mario Zaki — https://www.mazteck.com/Bryan Lachapelle — https://www.b4networks.ca/Joshua Holloway — https://7thdi.com/ AI is the most powerful tool your business has ever had access to — and one of the most dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. In Episode 88 of UnHacked, Justin, Mario, Bryan, and Josh pull back the curtain on what AI really is (hint: it's math, not magic), how to use it to multiply your productivity by 10–50x, and the critical security mistakes businesses are making right now. In this episode:Why AI "hallucinates," leads you down rabbit holes, and how to stop it Custom GPTs: Real-world examples from the hosts — legal document review, construction reports, quarterly planning, and podcast productionThe terminated employee who used AI-generated scripts to keep re-enabling their own access — while being escorted outWhy "vibe coding" already deleted one company's entire database (and how to make sure it doesn't happen to you)Prompting tips that will immediately make your AI smarter and more usefulHow to build your own custom AI assistant — even if you've never written a line of codeThis is Week 2 of a 12-week AI series designed to take business owners from "I use it like Google" to running a secure, productive AI-powered operation. Subscribe, share, and visit unhackmybusiness.com for resources, tools, and a free security assessment.

    1h 10m

  3. May 18

    87. The AI Starter Kit Every Business Owner Needs — Before Your Competitors Beat You to It

    Hosts & Guests: Justin Shelley — Phoenix IT Advisors | https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/Mario Zaki — Mazteck IT | https://www.mazteck.com/Bryan Lachapelle — B4 Networks | https://www.b4networks.ca/Joshua Holloway — 70i Technologies |https://7thdi.com/ What if you could get 10x, 20x — even 50x — more done in your business without hiring a single new employee? In Episode 87 of UnHacked, the hosts kick off an all-new 12-episode series dedicated to helping business owners harness the power of AI — safely, practically, and profitably. Joining the crew for the first time is Joshua Holloway, CEO of 70i Technologies, the man credited as the quiet inspiration behind the hosts' own AI journeys. Josh brings a compliance-focused perspective on AI adoption that every regulated business needs to hear. This episode covers: Why "free" AI tools are a security risk — and the one checkbox you must find (and keep checking) to protect your business dataThe paid vs. free platform debate — ChatGPT and Claude go head-to-head, and a third secure option is introduced: Hatz AI (hatz.ai)Real-world productivity wins — from a salesperson who cut proposal time from 3 hours to 5 minutes (that's a 36x improvement) to a marketing team producing 5-industry-specific blog posts in 1 hour instead of 8–10Why non-coders are now building full apps — Mario had zero coding experience before AI. That story will change how you think about what's possibleHow to use AI as an email filter, a meeting analyst, a sales coach, and even a therapist — practical use cases you can start todayYour homework assignment — one simple task every listener should complete before next week's episodeWhether you're completely new to AI or you've been dabbling and feel stuck, this episode is your on-ramp. The hosts promise: if you follow this 12-week series, your business will be unrecognizable by the end. Crawl. Walk. Run. It starts here. 🔒 UnHacked is produced by Phoenix IT Advisors — helping businesses use technology to make money, and protecting that money from hackers, fines, and lawsuits. Subscribe, leave a review, and visit unhackmybusiness.com for show notes, assignments, and resource links.

    1h 9m

  4. May 8

    86. Your Business Has No Plan for When It Gets Hacked — Here's How to Fix That

    Hosts:Justin Shelley — Phoenix IT Advisors | https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/Mario Zaki — Mazteck IT | https://www.mazteck.com/Bryan Lachapelle — B4 Networks | https://www.b4networks.ca/ Most businesses don't have a plan for when they get hacked. Not if — when. In Episode 86 of UnHacked, Justin, Mario, and Bryan dig into one of the least glamorous — but most critically important — topics in cybersecurity: policies, procedures, and incident response planning. Here's the hard truth they unpack: your firewall won't save you if your people don't know what to do. The gap between a breach and a catastrophe is almost always human behavior — and that's exactly what policies and incident response plans are designed to address. In this episode, you'll learn: The top 3 policies every business needs right now (including one you've almost certainly overlooked) Why most policies fail — and the three elements every good policy must haveHow to build a genuine security culture, not just a signed employee handbook nobody readsWhat an incident response plan actually covers (hint: it's not just an IT problem)The single most important document a business owner can create to protect themselves legally and operationallyPLUS — a major announcement: the UnHacked team is launching a free portal to help business owners score their cybersecurity posture, build an action plan, and hold their IT providers accountable. Want to know how secure your business really is? Get a free cybersecurity risk assessment at phoenixitadvisors.com — mention UnHacked.

    40 min

  5. May 4

    85. They're Already Inside: How Hackers Live in Your Business Undetected for Months

    Hosts:Justin Shelley — Phoenix IT Advisors | https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/Bryan Lachapelle — B4 Networks | https://www.b4networks.ca/Mario Zaki — Mazteck IT | https://www.mazteck.com/ What if someone was already living in your business — watching everything, stealing data, using your resources — and you had absolutely no idea? In Episode 85 of UnHacked, Justin, Bryan, and Mario tackle one of the most overlooked gaps in cybersecurity: logging, monitoring, and detection. Most businesses (and even most IT providers) invest heavily in preventing attacks — but almost no one has a plan for detecting them once they're already in.And they will get in.The hosts share real-world stories of attackers living undetected inside business networks for months — creating hidden admin accounts, mining cryptocurrency, exfiltrating data, and worse — all while the business owner had no idea. They break down what a Security Operations Center (SOC) actually does, why "mean time to detection" could be the most important metric you've never heard of, and why this is one cybersecurity layer you absolutely cannot DIY. Key takeaways: Ask your IT provider: "What are we doing for detection and response?" — and be prepared for the answer.Once you know you're unprotected, you're legally and ethically obligated to act.Monitoring without expert review is just noise — you need the right people watching.🔒 Think your business is protected? Find out for free at unhackmybusiness.com

    45 min

  6. Apr 23

    84. The Vendor You Trust Most Could Be Your Biggest Security Risk

    Hosts: Justin Shelley — Phoenix IT Advisors: https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/ Mario Zaki — Mazteck IT: https://www.mazteck.com/ Do you know exactly which vendors have access to your business systems, your data, or your network? If the honest answer is "not really" — this episode is for you. In Episode 84 of UnHacked, Justin Shelley and Mario Zaki tackle one of the most overlooked threats in cybersecurity: vendor risk and third-party access. This is the 10th installment in their deep-dive mini-series on cybersecurity fundamentals, and it may be the most eye-opening yet. The guys share a real-world story of an MSP who was breached through his own remote management software — encrypting not just his systems, but every single one of his clients' systems — and what his one-word lesson was when it was all over. You'll learn: Why your least secure vendor is your biggest security liabilityHow to find remote access software lurking on your network (and what to do with it)The simple first step every business owner can take today — no IT degree requiredWhat questions to ask your MSP to make sure they aren't your weakest linkHow AI can help you sort through thousands of installed applications in minutesWhether you're in construction, healthcare, finance, or any industry where you rely on vendors and subcontractors, this episode will change how you think about who you're letting in the door. 📌 Resources and episode links: unhackmybusiness.com🔒 Get your free cybersecurity risk assessment: phoenixitadvisors.com

    32 min

  7. Apr 20

    83. Your Business Is in the Cloud — But Is It Actually Secure?

    Hosts: Justin Shelley — Phoenix IT Advisors | https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/Mario Zaki — Mazteck IT | https://www.mazteck.com/Bryan Lachapelle — B4 Networks | https://www.b4networks.ca/ You moved your business to the cloud to simplify things. But what if that move actually increased your risk — and you didn't even know it? In Episode 83 of UnHacked, Justin, Mario, and Bryan pull back the curtain on cloud and SaaS security — the ninth installment in their 12-part Cybersecurity Basics series. This episode tackles one of the most dangerous misconceptions in modern business: that "moving to the cloud" means you're secure, saving money, or simplifying your operations. Spoiler — it often does none of those things without the right setup. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the cloud doesn't automatically secure or simplify your businessThe hidden risks of shared links, shadow IT, and expired user accountsWhy single sign-on (SSO) is a double-edged sword — and how to protect itHow former employees may still have access to your systems right nowWhat admin account separation really means and why your IT person might be doing it wrongWhat a proper, proactive cloud security setup actually looks likeWhether you're already in the cloud or thinking about making the move, this episode will change how you think about who has access to your business — and what happens when you don't know the answer. 🔐 Not sure how secure your cloud setup really is? Get a free cybersecurity risk assessment at PhoenixITAdvisors.com and mention UnHacked.

    42 min

  8. Apr 9

    82. Your IT Company Is Probably Not Patching Your Systems — Here's How to Catch Them

    Hosts:Justin Shelley — Phoenix IT Advisors | https://www.phoenixitadvisors.com/ Note: Co-hosts Mario Zaki and Bryan Lachapelle are absent this episode — they're representing their firms at a trade show in Dallas. Did you know there are 130+ new cybersecurity vulnerabilities discovered every single day? That's nearly 50,000 last year alone — and the number is growing exponentially, fueled in part by AI-powered attacks. In this solo episode, Justin Shelley breaks down one of the most overlooked and mismanaged areas of cybersecurity for small and mid-sized businesses: patch and vulnerability management. Most business owners assume their IT company is handling it. Most of the time, they're wrong. In this episode, Justin covers: What patching actually is — and why it's far more complex than "set it and forget it"The CVE list — the publicly available database of known vulnerabilities and why it should terrify youZero-day vulnerabilities — what they are and why they're especially dangerousThe reactive spiral of death — the real reason your IT company may be dropping the ball (and it's not because they don't care)The reboot problem — why something as simple as restarting a computer is one of the biggest obstacles to keeping your business secureLegacy systems and blind spots — Windows 10, old software, browsers, firewalls, and all the things that aren't getting patched even when you think they areTwo specific questions you should be asking your IT company right now — and what to do if they can't answer themJustin also shares a personal story about a client breach caused by an outdated version of Microsoft Office — one that nearly destroyed that business and ended a client relationship — to illustrate just how real and costly this problem is. This is episode 8 of the Cybersecurity Basics series. If you haven't already, go back and listen to the previous episodes on frameworks, identity and access management, endpoint security, backups, email phishing, and network security. 🎯 Free Resource: Want to know if your business is actually protected? Visit unhackmybusiness.com for show notes, the full video recording, and to schedule your free cybersecurity risk assessment with Phoenix IT Advisors — no matter where you're located.

    28 min
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When Russian hackers break into your business’s computers, what will they find and how much will it cost you? How long will it take you to recover? Can you recover? Here’s the sad truth: 97% of breaches could have been prevented with basic security measures; but once you’ve been hit… you can never get UnHacked! UnHacked is a weekly cybersecurity podcast for SMB business owners and leaders that helps them sort through the overwhelming security costs and recommendations, and focus on the best practices that give the highest ROI.

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