SipCyber - Presented by IT Audit Labs

IT Audit Labs
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TECHNOLOGY

SipCyber: Where Great Coffee Meets Essential Cybersecurity What happens when a former special education teacher turned Minnesota State Cybersecurity Coordinator sits down with a perfect cup of coffee? You get cybersecurity advice that's actually approachable. Jen Lotze from IT Audit Labs brings you SipCyber — the podcast that pairs cozy coffee shop discoveries with decaffeinated cybersecurity tips. No jargon. No fear-mongering. Just practical ways to protect yourself, your family, and your organization from digital criminals who want to ruin your perfectly good day. What You'll Get: Real-world cybersecurity advice anyone can followCoffee shop reviews and community spotlightsStories from someone who's been in classrooms, boardrooms, and government coordination centersA mission to make security everyone's job, not just the IT team'sFrom teaching special needs students to coordinating statewide cyber defense, Jen proves that cybersecurity expertise comes from the most unexpected places. And the best conversations happen over great coffee. Perfect for: Coffee lovers, small business owners, educators, parents, and anyone who wants to stay safe online without the technical overwhelm. Let's get brewing.

  1. 3H AGO

    Your Photos Are Sharing More Than You Think

    Your photos are talking behind your back — and most people have no idea.  In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze stops into Profit Coffee in North Charleston, SC — a thoughtfully designed space where even the milk choices signal awareness — and unpacks a privacy habit you probably never knew you needed. Inspired by a fisherman friend who screenshots every photo before sending it, Jen breaks down what's quietly hiding inside the images you share every day.  Key Topics Covered:  What photo metadata is — and why it matters for your privacy How a single image can reveal your home, your routines, and your location history The simple screenshot trick that strips hidden data before you share How to disable location tagging in your camera settings in under a minute Why awareness — not paranoia — is the most powerful privacy tool you have You're not oversharing on purpose. You're oversharing by default. One small setting change fixes that.  ☕ Featured Spot: Profit Coffee, North Charleston, SC  Think privacy is complicated? It doesn't have to be. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity tips from the best local spots across the country — and share this with someone who still sends photos straight from their camera roll.  #PhotoPrivacy #Metadata #CyberSecurity #DigitalPrivacy #InfoSec #SipCyber #DataPrivacy #OnlineSafety #CyberAwareness #PrivacyTips #LocationData #EXIF #PhotoSecurity #CyberTips #DigitalSafety

    4 min

  2. APR 8

    The Privacy Trade-Off You Didn't Know You Agreed To

    You assume your messages are private. But what if that assumption is the vulnerability?  In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze settles in at Estuary in St. John's Island with a wheat ale and unpacks a quiet but significant shift in how two of the world's biggest social platforms handle your private conversations. Instagram is walking back end-to-end encrypted DMs—meaning the platform can once again read, scan, and analyze your messages. And TikTok? It never offered that protection to begin with.  This isn't about paranoia. It's about knowing what "private" actually means in 2025—and closing the gap between how things feel and how they actually work.  Key Topics Covered:  What end-to-end encryption is—and why Instagram just stepped away from it Why TikTok DMs were never as private as users assumed The real trade-off between platform safety and personal privacy How your "private" messages can be accessed, reviewed, and analyzed Why assumption is the most common cybersecurity vulnerability ☕ Featured Spot: Estuary, St. John's Island  Think your DMs are private? Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity awareness delivered from coffee shops and breweries—and share this with someone who needs a reality check on their social media habits.  #Privacy #SocialMediaPrivacy #Instagram #TikTok #Encryption #CyberSecurity #DataPrivacy #SipCyber #InfoSec #DigitalSafety #OnlineSafety #EndToEndEncryption #MetaPrivacy

    3 min

  3. APR 1

    Your Social Security Number Has a Lock—Are You Using It?

    You already know to watch out for IRS scams—but do you know how to lock down your Social Security number before someone uses it? In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Claddagh Coffee on 7th St. in St. Paul, MN, sipping a bright caramel salty dog latte, to unpack a quiet but powerful identity protection tool most people have never heard of: E-Verify Self Lock.  The connection between tax season scams and this free SSN protection tool is closer than you think. Scammers don't need to break in—they just need you to move too fast. Jen walks through exactly how that gap gets exploited, and what a simple 10-minute setup can do to close it.  Key Topics Covered:   What E-Verify Self Lock is and how it works  Why your Social Security number is the #1 target in identity theft  How urgency and polished design are weaponized to earn digital trust  The difference between trust in the physical world vs. the digital world  Step-by-step: how to set up SSN protection directly and safely Trust builds slowly in real life—but online, it shows up instantly. A clean graphic, a confident voice, a sense of urgency. Scammers know this. Now you do too.  ☕ Featured Coffee Shop: Claddagh Coffee, 7th St., St. Paul, MN  🥤 Jen's Order: Caramel Salty Dog Latte  Ten minutes is all it takes. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity tips delivered from coffee shops across the country—and share this with someone who thinks identity theft won't happen to them.  #IdentityTheft #SocialSecurityNumber #EVerify #CyberSecurity #ScamAwareness #IdentityProtection #DataBreach #SipCyber #InfoSec #CyberSafety #TaxScams #DigitalSafety #OnlineSecurity

    3 min

  4. MAR 25

    The "Accidental" Venmo Payment That Drains Your Account

    The moment money shows up unexpectedly, most of us want to do the right thing—send it back, fix the mistake, move on. That's exactly what scammers are counting on. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Hamlin Bread inside Oxford's historic Covered Market to unpack one of the most deceptively simple scams circulating right now: the Venmo overpayment fraud.  From accidental transfers to online selling setups and fake "upgrade" emails, these scams share one common ingredient—urgency. And the antidote is surprisingly simple: a pause.  Key Topics Covered:  How the "accidental payment" scam works—and why it's so effective The overpayment trap targeting people selling items online Why Venmo's refund system can be weaponized against you The fake Venmo business account upgrade scam The one rule that protects you: never send money back yourself The same trust that makes peer-to-peer payment apps feel friendly is what makes them a prime target. A single pause between notification and action can be the difference between keeping your money and losing it.  ☕ Featured Spot: Hamblin Bread, Oxford Covered Market, Oxford, UK  Don't let a scammer turn your good instincts against you. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity insights from coffee shops and bakeries across the globe—and share this with anyone who uses Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App.  #VenmoScam #CyberSecurity #ScamAwareness #DigitalSafety #SipCyber #OnlineFraud #PaymentScams #Phishing #InfoSec #PeerToPeerPayments #FinancialFraud #CyberAware #SocialEngineering

    4 min

  5. MAR 18

    Tax Season Is Scammer Season: What You Need to Know

    Trust is the thing scammers exploit most—and tax season hands it to them on a silver platter. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits The Mixing Jug, a hidden courtyard gem in Marlow, England, and draws a powerful parallel between the quiet trust of a neighborhood coffee shop and the misplaced trust that costs people thousands every April.  When your inbox is already flooded with W2s, refund notices, and filing deadlines, a convincing phishing email doesn't feel like a threat—it feels expected. That's exactly how scammers want it. From fake IRS emails demanding identity verification to fraudulent tax documents loaded with malware, these attacks are timed precisely for the moment your guard is down.  Key Topics Covered:  The three most common tax season scams hitting inboxes right now Why the IRS will never email, text, or DM you—ever How to spot a spoofed sender address before it's too late What to do if you receive a suspicious "IRS" message Simple verification habits that stop tax phishing cold The IRS doesn't do urgency. Scammers do. If a message is pressuring you to act fast, that's your first red flag.  ☕ Featured Spot: The Mixing Jug, Marlow, England  Before you click anything this tax season—pause. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity tips delivered from coffee shops across the country, and share this with someone who could use a reminder before April.  #CyberSecurity #TaxScams #IRSScam #Phishing #IdentityTheft #TaxSeason #ScamAwareness #CyberSafety #InfoSec #SipCyber #DigitalSafety #PhishingAlert #CyberAwareness

    5 min

  6. MAR 11

    Stop Being Tracked: Phone Privacy Tips That Actually Work

    Your phone isn't eavesdropping—it's doing something far more calculated. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Meta Coffee and Bookstore in Anoka, MN, where the warmth of an old-school wooden bar and a quiet cup of herbal tea set the stage for one of the most common digital mysteries people experience: why does an ad show up seconds after you mention something out loud?  The answer isn't magic—and it isn't your microphone. It's math. Advertising systems build behavioral profiles using what you search, click, buy, and browse. Cross-app tracking stitches those signals together across every platform you use, creating a picture of you that's more precise than most people realize.   Key Topics Covered:  How pattern recognition—not microphone access—powers eerily accurate ads What cross-app tracking is and why it follows you everywhere Step-by-step: disabling ad tracking on iPhone (Settings → Privacy → Tracking)  Step-by-step: resetting your Advertising ID on Android Why reducing your digital "resolution" is a realistic, empowering goal This isn't about paranoia—it's about understanding the system so you can make informed choices about your privacy.  ☕ Featured Spot: Meta Coffee and Bookstore, Anoka, MN  #PhonePrivacy #CrossAppTracking #DataPrivacy #AdTracking #Cybersecurity #DigitalPrivacy #iPhonePrivacy #AndroidPrivacy #SipCyber #InfoSec #CyberSafety #OnlineSafety #PrivacyTips

    3 min

  7. MAR 4

    The Quiet Data Collector in Your Pocket

    Your phone is never fully asleep—and most people have no idea what's running quietly in the background. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Compassion Coffee in Anoka, MN—a nonprofit built on second chances—and draws a powerful parallel: just like the unseen systems keeping a coffee shop running smoothly, your devices are constantly working behind the scenes, tracking locations, scanning for wake phrases, and logging your habits.  Jen breaks down exactly what's happening on your iPhone and Android right now, and gives you a clear, 10-minute action plan to take back control without turning off everything you love about your device.  Key Topics Covered:  Why your phone is always "listening"—even when you're not using it What that orange or green dot actually means (hint: it's not protection) How to audit location permissions on iPhone and Android The "Significant Locations" feature most iPhone users don't know exists Simple permission changes that dramatically reduce background tracking This isn't about fear—it's about intention. Your digital life deserves the same care as anything else you value.  ☕ Featured Coffee Shop: Compassion Coffee, Anoka, MN  Take 10 minutes this week and review your app permissions. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity tips from the best coffee shops across the country—and share this with someone who's never checked their location settings.  #PhonePrivacy #DataPrivacy #Cybersecurity #LocationTracking #iPhonePrivacy #AndroidSecurity #SipCyber #DigitalSafety #InfoSec #CyberAwareness #AppPermissions #PrivacyTips

    4 min

  8. FEB 25

    AI Is Already Inside Your Kids' World—Are They Ready?

    A third-grader mishearing a Paul Simon song just delivered the most important cybersecurity lesson of the year. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze stops into Conscious Cup Coffee in Crystal Lake, IL—home of the salted hazelnut latte that turned her into a coffee lover—to talk about what it really means to raise a generation that's growing up inside AI, not just alongside it.  This isn't a panic piece. It's a practical, grounded conversation about why kids interact with AI fundamentally differently than adults do—and what that means for families, educators, and anyone responsible for the next generation's digital safety.  Key Topics Covered:   Why kids born into AI see it as invisible infrastructure, not a tool  The critical difference between AI predicting vs. AI knowing  How to start age-appropriate AI literacy conversations at home  What should never be typed into a chatbot, search bar, or image generator  Treating AI like a public space—not a private conversation The cybersecurity threat isn't just hackers. It's misplaced trust. And when a friendly, helpful AI voice feels like a confidant, that's where risk quietly walks in the door.  ☕ Featured Spot: Conscious Cup Coffee, Crystal Lake, IL  // Learn More About IT Audit Labs //  AI can be a great assistant—it just shouldn't be your confidant. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity tips from the best local spots across the country, and share this with every parent and educator in your life.  #AILiteracy #KidsAndAI #CyberSecurity #DigitalSafety #AIAwareness #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #SipCyber #ChatGPT #ArtificialIntelligence #CyberEducation #InfoSec #OnlineSafety #AIRisks #DigitalParenting #TechForKids

    6 min
See All (29)

About

SipCyber: Where Great Coffee Meets Essential Cybersecurity What happens when a former special education teacher turned Minnesota State Cybersecurity Coordinator sits down with a perfect cup of coffee? You get cybersecurity advice that's actually approachable. Jen Lotze from IT Audit Labs brings you SipCyber — the podcast that pairs cozy coffee shop discoveries with decaffeinated cybersecurity tips. No jargon. No fear-mongering. Just practical ways to protect yourself, your family, and your organization from digital criminals who want to ruin your perfectly good day. What You'll Get: Real-world cybersecurity advice anyone can followCoffee shop reviews and community spotlightsStories from someone who's been in classrooms, boardrooms, and government coordination centersA mission to make security everyone's job, not just the IT team'sFrom teaching special needs students to coordinating statewide cyber defense, Jen proves that cybersecurity expertise comes from the most unexpected places. And the best conversations happen over great coffee. Perfect for: Coffee lovers, small business owners, educators, parents, and anyone who wants to stay safe online without the technical overwhelm. Let's get brewing.

Information