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

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 [CISARegion8@hq.dhs.gov] | www.linkedin.com/in/jim-e-465a9a12 [http://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.

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 [https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/] | Industry breakdowns: pages 80–81 CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — cisa.gov/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  [http://anthropic.com/glasswing] Connect with Dean: linkedin.com/in/deansheley/ [https://www.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.

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  [dsu.edu/directory/podhradsky-ashley.html] CybHER cyber outreach program: gencybergirls.camp [gencybergirls.camp] DSU Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences: dsu.edu [dsu.edu] Secure SD / Project Boundary Fence: madlabs.dsu.edu/digforce/boundary-fence [madlabs.dsu.edu/digforce/boundary-fence] Google Cybersecurity Clinic at DSU: dsu.edu/news/2025/06/cybersecurity-clinic-grand-opening.html [dsu.edu/news/2025/06/cybersecurity-clinic-grand-opening.html] Bark — parental monitoring app mentioned by Dr. Podhradsky: bark.us [bark.us] Connect with Dr. Ashley Podhradsky: linkedin.com/in/ashley-podhradsky-64312032 [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.

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 [https://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.

VMware, Broadcom, and What IT Leaders Need to Know Now: A Conversation with Brian Bensen

Surprise drop! We're giving you an extra episode this month because this conversation is too important to sit on.  VMware didn't just change — it changed fast, and more than once. Since Broadcom's acquisition, organizations have watched licensing costs climb and options narrow, often without much warning. In this episode, Sales Engineer Brian Bensen walks through what happened, why there's no simple replacement, and how to think through your virtualization strategy before you're up against a deadline. Brian Bensen is a Sales Engineer at High Point Networks with expertise in on-premise and cloud solutions, servers, storage, virtualization, backup, and business continuity. Since 2018, he's helped organizations architect infrastructure that actually fits their environment — and their budget.   ✨ In this episode: → What made VMware the industry standard for over two decades  → What Broadcom's acquisition changed — and how licensing costs shifted  → Why no alternative is a straight swap for VMware  → The discovery questions worth asking before you make any moves  → Why six months of planning runway changes everything  → When staying with VMware might still be the right answer 🗨️ Mentioned in this episode: VMware | Broadcom | ESXi | vCenter | Hyper-V | KVM | HPE | vSphere Foundation | Cloud Foundation | AI data center infrastructure Connect with Brian: brian.bensen@highpointnetworks.com _____ 🕑 Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction & welcome  2:10 - What VMware built and why it mattered  7:30 - Broadcom acquires VMware: what changed  13:00 - Pricing increases and the licensing squeeze  17:45 - Alternatives: what's out there and what to consider  25:00 - The discovery questions HPN asks every customer  30:15 - Real-world timelines: why six months matters  35:30 - Closing thoughts & listener takeaways 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.