Get to the Point — The High Point Networks Podcast

High Point Networks
  • 5.0 (3)
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  • Updated Biweekly

Technology can feel overwhelming — the jargon, the pace, the pressure to keep up. Get to the Point exists to change that.  Hosted by Andy Middlemiss and Brandi Mentele of High Point Networks, Get to the Point is a podcast for business leaders, IT professionals, and anyone trying to make sense of how technology can actually work for them. Each episode cuts through the noise with honest conversations, real-world insights, and practical takeaways from people who live and breathe this stuff.  No fluff. No unnecessary jargon. Just the deeper "why" behind the technology decisions that matter — from a team you can trust.  New episodes every other Wednesday. Hosts: Andy Middlemiss & Brandi Mentele Production & Management: Jasmine Joy  Audio & Video: Alex Conner _______________________ Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

  1. 4d ago

    What Your Cyber Policy Actually Covers, and What It Doesn't (with Travis Kroger)

    Cyber insurance isn't a safety net you buy once and forget (or...it really shouldn't be). Rather, it's a living part of your security posture. Yet, most businesses don't realize how little their policy actually covers until after a breach has already occurred. In this episode, Andy and Brandi sit down with Travis Kroger, Cyber Insurance Practice Lead at UKON, to pull back the curtain on what cyber coverage really means, how to read between the lines of a policy, and why the affordable market we're in right now won't last. Travis brings a rare "no-nonsense" perspective that bridges the tech and insurance worlds, making this a conversation IT leaders and business decision-makers alike will want to hear. 0:00 - Welcome & introducing Travis Kroger 3:03 - Tell me something good 10:02 - Why cyber insurance may be priced lower than it should be 14:12 - Why insurance and IT security should be one strategy 16:12 - The biggest coverage gaps IT leaders don't know about 22:12 - The "hidden menu" of cyber insurance 27:36 - How to spot a strong policy vs. a weak one 35:48 - What to do in the first minutes of a cyber incident 39:06 - Travis's role as a wholesale broker 🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:  → MFA — multi-factor authentication → WTF — wire transfer fraud, one of the most common cyber insurance claims → DFIR — Digital Forensics and Incident Response → Tech E&O — Technology Errors & Omissions insurance → Surplus lines market — where most cyber policies are written, giving carriers more flexibility than the state-admitted market *A note on stats: Travis referenced some industry comparisons from memory during our conversation (fire frequency, cyberattack frequency); treat those as illustrative rather than precise figures. The core point he's making, that cyber risk is more frequent than most businesses assume, holds regardless of the exact numbers. Connect with Travis: LinkedIn — www.linkedin.com/in/traviskroger | Email: travis@ukon.com _____ Footer (already there): Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    What Your Cyber Policy Actually Covers, and What It Doesn't (with Travis Kroger)

  2. Sep 2

    Rebuilding Rural Healthcare: Technology, Funding, and the Fight to Close the Gap (with Secretary Magstadt and Kevin DeWald)

    Technology and healthcare collide in this episode as Andy and Brandi welcome their first-ever two-guest lineup: Kevin DeWald, Executive Director of South Dakota Health Link, and Secretary Melissa Magstadt. Together, they unpack how South Dakota built one of the most connected rural health information networks in the country, and how new federal funding is helping close longstanding technology gaps in rural and frontier healthcare. Kevin DeWald has worked for South Dakota's state public health agency for 23 years and has led state, regional, and national health IT and health information exchange efforts for 18 years. He currently serves as Executive Director of South Dakota Health Link, a multi-state network connecting 69 hospitals and more than 450 primary care clinics across South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota. Secretary Melissa Magstadt has been involved in South Dakota healthcare for over three decades. She is an advanced practice registered nurse and co-owner of Quick Care South Dakota, and previously served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2014. She holds a master's in science from South Dakota State University with a focus on family nurse practitioning, an MBA from Mount Marty University, and completed her fellowship at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrated Medicine.   0:00 - Welcome & meeting our first two-guest lineup 1:42 - Meet Kevin DeWald & Secretary Melissa Magstadt 5:13 - Tell me something good 6:10 - The box of papers that sparked South Dakota Health Link 9:59 - What South Dakota Health Link actually does 18:26 - How new federal funding for rural healthcare works 30:19 - Inside South Dakota's technology & data initiative 33:42 - AI already at work in South Dakota healthcare 37:54 - A million clinical alerts and counting   🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:  → EMR — electronic medical record → HIE — health information exchange, a system that lets healthcare providers securely share patient data → South Dakota Health Link — the multi-state health information network Kevin leads, https://sdhealthlink.org/  → https://doh.sd.gov — South Dakota Department of Health's rural health funding information page  Connect with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-magstadt-8749b59 | melissa@sd.gov | https://doh.sd.gov/contacts/staff-directory/ Connect with Kevin: https://sdhealthlink.org/team_mf/kevin-dewald/ | https://doh.sd.gov/contacts/staff-directory/  New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    Rebuilding Rural Healthcare: Technology, Funding, and the Fight to Close the Gap (with Secretary Magstadt and Kevin DeWald)

  3. Aug 19

    Microsoft, AI, and Maintaining Human Responsibility (with Chris Watson)

    Most organizations are already licensed for more than they're using — and AI is a big part of that. In this episode, Solutions Architect Chris Watson walks through what's already baked into your Microsoft environment, why a thoughtful rollout matters more than a fast one, and how teams are actually using Copilot day-to-day to work smarter. Chris Watson is a Solutions Architect at High Point Networks with over 13 years of industry experience. He holds Microsoft Certified Cloud Solutions Provider and Enterprise Mobility and Security certifications, specializing in Microsoft 365, Azure, and cloud and on-premise architecture.   0:00 - Introduction & welcome  2:15 - AI in Microsoft: it's not as new as you think  5:40 - What's already in your Microsoft license  9:15 - Start here: AI compliance policy and readiness assessment  13:00 - Rolling out Copilot: proof of concept to full deployment  20:30 - Real-world use cases (Teams, email, Word, PowerPoint)  28:00 - What's next: agents, DLP, and connecting your data  31:30 - Closing thoughts & listener takeaways 🗨️ Mentioned in this episode: Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Teams | SharePoint | Copilot Chat (free tier) | AI readiness assessment | AI compliance policy | Data Loss Prevention (DLP) | Copilot agents Connect with Chris: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-watson-b06b35126 | chris.watson@highpointnetworks.com _____ New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    Microsoft, AI, and Maintaining Human Responsibility (with Chris Watson)

  4. Aug 5

    Leaders Worth Following: Curiosity, Confidence, & Cutting Through the Noise (with Scott Erkonen)

    What separates a good leader from one people actually want to follow?  Scott Erkonen, COO of Performance Bankers and former CIO at Great Western Bank and First Interstate Bank System, has spent more than two decades figuring that out. In this episode, Scott joins Andy and Brandi to talk about the leadership traits that matter most: raising your hand when you don't know something, building the kind of confidence that doesn't crumble under pressure, staying present in a world built to distract you, and keeping it simple when everything around you is telling you to make it more complicated. Scott Erkonen is COO of Performance Bankers, Inc., the management company for the Farrar family. His career spans executive leadership at Great Western Bank and First Interstate Bank System, and service as a U.S. international representative to the ISO standards body. 0:00 – Introduction & welcome  2:45 – Tell me something good  4:54 – Raising your hand: curiosity as a leadership trait  7:43 – Vulnerability, the Dunning-Kruger effect & psychological safety  14:43 – Making mistakes — and building a culture where that's okay  17:02 – The rule of three: how to get things done in the C-suite  19:38 – Investing in yourself every day  21:35 – Imposter syndrome and believing in yourself  26:30 – Being present: focus as a leadership skill  37:42 – Simple Wins: cutting through the noise in IT leadership  41:30 – Question from the jar  42:51 – Closing & where to find Scott 🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:   “Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters” by Lisa Bodell — goodreads.com/en/book/show/28695464-why-simple-wins  The Eisenhower Matrix — https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/  The Dunning-Kruger effect — https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dunning-kruger-effect Connect with Scott: linkedin.com/in/scott-erkonen-49670a2  _____ New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    Leaders Worth Following: Curiosity, Confidence, & Cutting Through the Noise (with Scott Erkonen)

  5. Jul 22

    What CISA Actually Does and Why Your Organization Can't Afford to Ignore It (with Jim Edman)

    Most organizations in the Midwest don't have a dedicated cybersecurity team — and that's not a failure; it's just the reality. But that doesn't mean they're on their own.  In this episode, Andy and Brandi sit down with Jim Edman, Cybersecurity Coordinator for CISA's Region 8, to talk about the free, taxpayer-funded resources available to cities, counties, schools, and small businesses — and why so few of them are actually being used. From backup restore testing to business email compromise to cyber insurance, Jim brings a grounded, practical perspective on what organizations should be doing, what they're missing, and how to close the gap without a six-figure security budget. Jim Edman is the Cybersecurity Coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in South Dakota, serving Region 8 — which covers North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. In that role, Jim works with critical infrastructure sectors across the region on cyber risk management and security hygiene. Prior to joining CISA in 2021, Jim served as Chief Information Security Officer for South Dakota State Government for 13 years, where he built operational and strategic security platforms protecting constituent and government data. He also served as broadband manager for the Connect South Dakota Project, bringing high-speed internet to communities across the state.   0:00 — Introduction & cold open 2:00 — What CISA does and who it serves 5:20 — DSU partnerships: Boundary Fence, Secure SD, and Cyber SAFE 10:20 — The current threat landscape: what the 2026 Verizon DBIR says 13:55 — Business email compromise in South Dakota 18:40 — The backup restore gap 21:45 — Cyber insurance: what's changed, what it covers, and what it doesn't 34:30 — How to connect with CISA Region 8   🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:  → CISA — cisa.gov/about/regions/region-8   → Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) — annual industry benchmark on breach trends → Project Boundary Fence — DSU penetration testing program for SD cities and counties, funded through the SD Office of the Attorney General → Secure SD — SD Senate Bill 187 grant program helping cities and counties address security gaps → Cyber SAFE — DSU program extending similar services to small businesses → South Dakota Cyber Council — nonprofit connecting government, industry, and education around statewide cybersecurity — cybercouncilsd.org  → FBI InfraGard — FBI/private sector partnership for critical infrastructure protection; SD chapter at sdinfragard.net 📎 A note on sources: The OPM breach Brandi references involved two related incidents. The commonly cited 22 million figure represents the total number of individuals affected across both; the 4.2 million figure reflects federal personnel records directly compromised. Both numbers appear in reporting on the breach depending on what's being measured.   Connect with Jim:  CISARegion8@hq.dhs.gov | www.linkedin.com/in/jim-e-465a9a12  _____ New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    What CISA Actually Does and Why Your Organization Can't Afford to Ignore It (with Jim Edman)

  6. Jul 14 ·  Bonus

    Breaking Down the 2026 DBIR with Dean Sheley: What Business Leaders Need to Know

    The 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report just dropped — and in this bonus episode, Andy and Brandi sit down with Dean Sheley, Senior Security Architect and Consultant at High Point Networks, to unpack what's in it and what it means for your organization. Dean brings nearly 30 years of cybersecurity experience across global financial institutions, higher education, and the SMB sector. He's a CISSP, holds a Master's in Information Security and Assurance from Dakota State University, and previously served as CISO for the South Dakota Board of Regents, overseeing cybersecurity across six South Dakota public universities. 0:00 - Introduction & welcome  1:49 - What is the DBIR and why does it matter?  6:45 - The DBIR's north star: fundamentals still matter most  8:38 - Vulnerability exploitation is now the #1 threat vector  14:21 - Why organizations are struggling to keep up with patching  21:10 - Does automated patch management exist? (Yes.)  22:40 - Ransomware is up — but payments are declining  26:43 - Third-party risk and the expanding attack surface  33:20 - What to ask before you move to the cloud or a third party  37:28 - AI vs. AI: how the threat landscape is shifting 🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:  2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) — free download at verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir | Industry breakdowns: pages 80–81 CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog Jen Easterly, former Director of CISA — referenced in context of software quality accountability Project Glasswing — anthropic.com/glasswing  Connect with Dean: linkedin.com/in/deansheley/  _____ New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    Breaking Down the 2026 DBIR with Dean Sheley: What Business Leaders Need to Know

  7. Jul 8

    Building the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals (with Dr. Ashley Podhradsky)

    What does it take to make cybersecurity feel like it's for everyone? Dr. Ashley Podhradsky has spent her career answering that question.  In this episode, Andy and Brandi sit down with the Vice President for Research and Economic Development & Co-Founder of CybHER at Dakota State University to talk about building the next generation of cyber professionals, why curiosity matters more than math scores, and what parents and business leaders alike need to know about the technology shaping daily life. Dr. Podhradsky is a professor of digital forensics, co-founder of CybHER, and one of 120 women honored at the Smithsonian for excellence in STEM. Her research teams have secured more than $26.5 million in competitive grants and contracts from organizations including the NSA, NSF, and Google. :00 - Introduction & welcome  1:52 - Dr. Podhradsky's credentials & what DSU is building  4:43 - Partnering with businesses, small governments & CISA  9:10 - The CybHER camps: hands-on cyber for K-12  15:11 - Why "are you curious?" beats "are you good at math?"  18:39 - Tech responsibility for kids — and the digital mistake you can't undo  22:58 - Gaming consoles, drones & digital forensics  26:55 - End-to-end encryption and its unintended consequences  29:14 - The sextortion crisis every parent should know about  31:00 - DSU's student pipeline: 99.9% placement rate  33:04 - Competitions, hackathons & the MIT Bitcoin win  35:03 - Launch question from the jar  🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about Dr. Podhradsky: dsu.edu/directory/podhradsky-ashley.html  CybHER cyber outreach program: gencybergirls.camp DSU Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences: dsu.edu Secure SD / Project Boundary Fence: madlabs.dsu.edu/digforce/boundary-fence Google Cybersecurity Clinic at DSU: dsu.edu/news/2025/06/cybersecurity-clinic-grand-opening.html Bark — parental monitoring app mentioned by Dr. Podhradsky: bark.us Connect with Dr. Ashley Podhradsky: linkedin.com/in/ashley-podhradsky-64312032 _____ New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    Building the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals (with Dr. Ashley Podhradsky)

  8. Jun 24

    Big Brother: Is He Watching? Security, Privacy, and Where the Line Actually Is (with Aaron Zylla)

    After Episode 6 sparked a bigger conversation, Aaron Zylla came back to finish it.  In this bonus, Andy, Brandi, and Aaron dig into one of the most charged topics in physical security — where does protection end and surveillance begin?  0:00 - Welcome back & why we're here  2:14 - Liberty vs. privacy: the Benjamin Franklin framing  4:30 - Mass-scale AI surveillance: myth or reality?  7:45 - What "no expectation of privacy in public" actually means  11:20 - Privacy masking: how it works and why it matters  15:08 - Business owners, communities, and where to draw the line  19:33 - State regulations, audio recording, and Colorado's consent law  24:10 - The Flock controversy and municipal regulations  27:45 - A real story: HPN crew, a public park, and the media  32:00 - Final thoughts and the liberty vs. privacy question    🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:   → Benjamin Franklin — "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" — from a 1755 letter written on behalf of the Pennsylvania Assembly. One of Franklin's most cited quotes, though its original context was a tax dispute rather than surveillance. Widely applied today to discussions of security vs. civil liberties.  → Google Street View litigation — Aaron references this case in the context of public visibility and privacy expectations. *Note: the actual Google Street View case (In re Google Inc. Street View Electronic Communications Litigation, Case No. 10-md-02184) involved Wi-Fi data collection, not visual surveillance. The legal principle Aaron describes — that there is no expectation of privacy for what is visible from a public road — is well established in U.S. law but stems from a broader body of case law. Listeners interested in this topic are encouraged to consult a legal professional familiar with privacy law in their state.  → Minority Report — referenced in discussion of AI surveillance myths. *Note: Aaron's comments on AI camera capabilities refer to commercially available systems of the kind HPN designs and installs. Government and law enforcement agencies may have access to more advanced facial recognition capabilities. The landscape is evolving quickly — listeners are encouraged to research current capabilities and regulations in their area.  → Flock — license plate recognition platform; currently subject to ongoing legal and regulatory scrutiny in various municipalities  → Colorado single-party consent law — referenced as a state-specific example of audio recording regulations Connect with Aaron: www.linkedin.com/in/aaronzylla | aaron.zylla@highpointnetworks.com _____ New episodes every other Wednesday. Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen. Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

    Big Brother: Is He Watching? Security, Privacy, and Where the Line Actually Is (with Aaron Zylla)
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Technology can feel overwhelming — the jargon, the pace, the pressure to keep up. Get to the Point exists to change that.  Hosted by Andy Middlemiss and Brandi Mentele of High Point Networks, Get to the Point is a podcast for business leaders, IT professionals, and anyone trying to make sense of how technology can actually work for them. Each episode cuts through the noise with honest conversations, real-world insights, and practical takeaways from people who live and breathe this stuff.  No fluff. No unnecessary jargon. Just the deeper "why" behind the technology decisions that matter — from a team you can trust.  New episodes every other Wednesday. Hosts: Andy Middlemiss & Brandi Mentele Production & Management: Jasmine Joy  Audio & Video: Alex Conner _______________________ Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

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