Cybersecurity Secrets Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know

Who speaks in this episode?

• Hala Taha (Host) · 20 min speaking
• Ramon Ray (Guest) · 16 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Aspire Tour, Cyber Security, small businesses, South by Southwest
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Cyber Security, Bit Defender, small businesses, Jenna Kutcher
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Bit Defender, Cyber Security, small businesses, denial of service
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Bit Defender, bill.com, Facebook, malware
5. 20:00 – 25:00: malware, small businesses
6. 25:00 – 30:00: Aspire Tour, Bit Defender, Cyber Security, Gary Vaynerchuk
7. 30:00 – 35:00: Zone of Genius, Bit Defender, Dell Computer, Facebook
8. 35:00 – 36:06: Cyber Security, Apple Podcast, Bit Defender, Castbox

Notable quotes from "Cybersecurity Secrets Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know"

• Protect your business. What is it about small businesses that make them more vulnerable to these cyber security attacks?

  about Cyber Security · at 0:34

• Sought-after voice on entrepreneurship and small business success. He's also the small business ambassador for Bit Defender, the world's leading cyber security company, where…

  about Bit Defender · at 2:00

• Raone, welcome to Young and Profiting Podcast.

  about Profiting Podcast · at 2:45

• Of Raone or they're thinking of what whatever it is I'm offering, whatever I'm doing. So, I call it 360 marketing.

  about 360 marketing · at 4:27

• How many times I've gotten, my team gets messages where people are pretending to be me or, Jenna Kutcher's in my network and I keep getting emails from people pretending to be…

  about Jenna Kutcher · at 8:39

• Enable two factor authentication. Half the people probably know what it is. For those who don't, that's that little annoying inconvenience but very secure.

  about Two-factor authentication · at 9:35

• An attack because the tools are easier anybody with the basics of knowledge if you can set up a Facebook page if you can download an app to your phone you can download…

  about Facebook · at 11:50

• Now, you've put out this website called Zone of Genius. Talk to us about what this website is for and then also how can we become a thought leader in our niche. How do we hone in our zone of genius?

  about Zone of Genius · at 29:40

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Ramon Ray — Person · 1 mention · first at 1:53
  To focus today's episode on cyber security and bring on small business champion and serial entrepreneur Ramon Ray. Raone has started five companies.
• Jenna Kutcher — Person · 1 mention · first at 8:44
• Gary Vaynerchuk — Person · 1 mention · first at 27:35
  I've done it at VCON with Gary Vaynerchuk. I've done it at the biggest events in the world. I go through the audience beforehand. Sounds simple, but I find that not all speakers do. Many,.
• Hala Taha — Person · 1 mention · first at 35:56
  You can also find me on Instagram atywithhalla or LinkedIn. Just search for my name. It's Hala Taha. Until next time, this is your host Halataha, aka the podcast princess, signing off.
• Michael Dell — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

• Celebrity CEO — Book · 1 mention · first at 2:24
  And he's the publisher of Zoneofgenius.com and the author of Celebrity CEO. In today's episode, we're going to talk about all these hidden risks that can threaten our businesses.

Companies & orgs

• Bit Defender — Company · 10 mentions · first at 2:04
• Aspire Tour — Company · 3 mentions · first at 2:17
  Of that, Ramon has spoken on some of the biggest stages in the world like South by Southwest, Vcon, and the Aspire Tour.
• Facebook — Company · 3 mentions · first at 11:55
• South by Southwest — Company · 2 mentions · first at 2:15
  In today's digital first world. On top of that, Ramon has spoken on some of the biggest stages in the world like South by Southwest, Vcon, and the Aspire Tour.
• Young and Profiting Podcast — Company · 2 mentions · first at 2:45
  Raone, welcome to Young and Profiting Podcast.
• Zoneofgenius.com — Company · 1 mention · first at 2:22
  And he's the publisher of Zoneofgenius.com and the author of Celebrity CEO. In today's episode, we're going to talk about all these hidden risks that can threaten our businesses.
• WhatsApp — Company · 1 mention · first at 31:12
  Pick up your phone and text. Even better, voice message via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger. I do this the people in your life that maybe you haven't said thank you. Pick up the phone. Hey, listen Jerry, I just wanted to say six.
• Dell Computer — Company · 1 mention · first at 32:46
  Yeah, I'll give an example of a few years ago many people know the computer company Dell Computer. Mhm.
• Apple Podcast — Company · 1 mention · first at 35:39
  Attacks. And if you enjoyed this episode, drop us a five-star review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, or wherever you listen to the show. Nothing helps us reach more people…
• Castbox — Company · 1 mention · first at 35:39
  Attacks. And if you enjoyed this episode, drop us a five-star review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, or wherever you listen to the show. Nothing helps us reach more people…
• CES — Company · 1 mention
• VCON — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• UnlimitedVPN — Product · 1 mention · first at 14:40
  Scans for fishing and scams, manages passwords, and even checks the dark web for leaked info. UnlimitedVPN allows your team to work securely from anywhere. The dashboard is super simple.
• bill.com — Product · 1 mention · first at 16:43
  So I'll give credit to you know something like a bill.com or other services that are built to say these are the two data points the money transfers our customers are already secure and validated and it will only be done.
• LastPass — Product · 1 mention · first at 26:11
  Happen. we do a lot of like we've focused a lot on passwords. we are using LastPass and we focused a lot on passwords. but I think we need to go the next level now that we've got data and now that my persona is bigger because people are.
• Facebook Messenger — Product · 1 mention · first at 31:14
  Pick up your phone and text. Even better, voice message via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger. I do this the people in your life that maybe you haven't said thank you. Pick up the…
• Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security — Product · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

• Cyber Security — Concept · 10 mentions · first at 0:38
• small businesses — Concept · 9 mentions · first at 0:37
  Growing. It's also about making sure you protect your business. What is it about small businesses that make them more vulnerable to these cyber security attacks?
• malware — Concept · 5 mentions · first at 0:55
  You have fishing, you have ransomware, and you have malware. Are there certain types of industries that need to be hyper alert?
• ransomware — Concept · 5 mentions · first at 0:55
  You have fishing, you have ransomware, and you have malware. Are there certain types of industries that need to be hyper alert?
• Zone of Genius — Concept · 3 mentions · first at 29:42
• 360 marketing — Concept · 1 mention · first at 4:30
• Two-factor authentication — Concept · 1 mention · first at 9:35
• denial of service — Concept · 1 mention · first at 10:35
  You have also the attacks where it's some denial of service, kind of a fancy word meaning overwhelming force is bombarding your servers, which means legitimate people cannot access it. So, those are a few of the common types of.
• personal brand — Concept · 1 mention · first at 29:37
  Yeah 100% okay my last question for you really goes back to being a creator entrepreneur having a personal brand.
• HIPAA — Concept · 1 mention
• IoT (Internet of Things) — Concept · 1 mention
• phishing — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

• Las Vegas, Nevada — Place · 1 mention
• Romania — Place · 1 mention
• Utah — Place · 1 mention

Sponsors

• Profiting Podcast — Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 2:45

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 I've recognized this for a while and I think as technology evolves, crime evolves with it, gets better and better. So, it's a constant cat and mouse game of catchup.

0:11 You've built and scaled and exited so many different companies. You're a serial entrepreneur, a motivational speaker, an author. Talk to us about some of the biggest lessons.

0:20 What you see in the headlines of amazing media that we see on TV, it may be different than the reality of experience. Running a business is not just about putting your face out there, growing. It's also about making sure you protect your business. What is it about small businesses that make them more vulnerable to these cyber security attacks?

0:41 We're so busy. We're clicking, clicking, clicking, clicking. Oh no, I just clicked on a text. Now I got hacked.

0:48 What are some of the common cyber security attacks that you see happen to small businesses these days?

0:53 You have fishing, you have uh ransomware, and you have malware. Are there certain types of industries that need to be hyper alert?

1:02 Holla, I'm telling you, it's all of us. And the reason why, because Yeah, fam. I bet you've got your hands full running your business. But here's the hard truth that you still need to hear. Small businesses are now the number one target for cyber attacks. One click, one weak password, one moment of distraction could cost you everything that you've built as an entrepreneur. And the thing is, as entrepreneurs, we are already juggling. so many things. One minute we're thinking about customer service, then we're thinking about hiring and managing people, putting out fires, all while trying to grow our business. It's a lot being an entrepreneur. So, how do we balance all of this without losing sight of what actually drives our business forward and at the same time protect our business from the hidden risks that nobody ever talks about? That's why I'm so excited to focus today's episode on cyber

1:51 security and bring on small business champion and serial entrepreneur Ramon Ray. Raone has started five companies. He's sold three of them and he's a sought-after voice on entrepreneurship and small business success. He's also the small business ambassador for Bit Defender, the world's leading cyber security company, where he helps entrepreneurs safeguard their businesses in today's digital first world. On top of that, Ramon has spoken on some of the biggest stages in the world like South by Southwest, Vcon, and the Aspire Tour.

2:20 And he's the publisher of Zoneofgenius.com and the author of Celebrity CEO. In today's episode, we're going to talk about all these hidden risks that can threaten our businesses. And Ramon will break down what those risks look like and more importantly, how you can protect your business without getting lost in all that tech jargon. If you're an entrepreneur trying to juggle it all and still sleep at night, this is an episode that you won't want to miss. Raone, welcome to Young and Profiting Podcast.

2:48 Wonderfully glad to be here. Thank you, Holla, for having me. Appreciate it. I know we're going to have a good time.

2:51 Yeah, I'm excited for this conversation. You've built and sold multiple businesses, which is really like every entrepreneur's dream is to actually build and then exit a company. So talk to us about some of the biggest lessons that you've you've learned like maybe the top one or two that you've learned over the years being an entrepreneur.

3:11 Sure. I think that one is that what you see in the headlines of amazing media that we see on TV, you know, whatever the CNBC or pick your channel, it may be different than the reality of experience. And what I mean by that hollow, for example, is yes, I've sold a few businesses, but a lot of them were just relationships. Let's say you and I. Yeah. What's up, girl? Listen, I built this for seven years. Oh, you want it? Okay, what are your needs? Can we do it? Or yeah, what's up, you know, to my dude or somebody who I know. So, it's not that cavalier. There is contracts.

3:40 There's due diligence, but it's not some like some billion dollar valuation meeting in the ballroom of your big hotel. Point is, it starts with relationships. At least how I've done it at my level. It's relationships.

3:54 So, you've spoken on amazing stages. Uh you did the Aspire tour. You've done Gary Ve's events. You've done South by Southwest and you also have written books. You've got a website. So, talk to us about all the different channels that you use to acquire your audiences and why it's so important to kind of put your face out there in that way. the advantage of being out as much as you can, especially where your customers are at. It's important because what I find that when people wake up in the morning, let's say the content I produce, they're thinking of Raone or they're thinking of what whatever it is I'm offering, whatever I'm doing. So, I call it 360 marketing.

4:33 It's not I didn't make it up, but you know, the idea of you're everywhere your customers are at. And so I've been at the airport. I've been at events, not all events in the world, but at an event where my people are, "Oh, are you at Raone Ray on Twitter?" And I'm like, I think I am. So that's the that's the benefit of kind of using the platforms to our advantage, just being on one. I think it's a little a little too little just being on one platform.

5:00 So let's dig deeper on you speaking on these stages. I think that's a goal that like a lot of entrepreneurs have is to be a thought leader in their space to be invited onto these stages. So talk to us about how you even get on these stages and also like maybe one or two tips of how you make sure you do a great job.

5:19 Everybody has a gift or a superpower. Hala has one or more. I have one or more. Those listening to us, those watching us, everybody has a gift. My gift starting with what it's not. I'm not great at science, not great at math. I'm not very detail oriented, but I like to have fun. I like to talk. I like to be engaging. I would like to think because of the su because of the success I've had that I can energize a crowd with the appropriate energy. So my point being the tips I'll give are I think one if you wish to be on big stages making big impact. Are you really good on stage? Honest with yourself, not your mama said it, but are you really good on stage? Number two, is that really good on stage? Validated by the audience and by your clients, by your sponsors, others calling you back. Number three, videotape yourself. Watch yourself on stage. You may cringe a few times.

6:11 Number four, if you're really good at it, I would suggest people do the power of self-promotion. And I know you know this well. Take now the the good videos, you know, edit them a bit, showcase them out. So, I can go on this, but I'll pause a bit. But I think that between being very good at it, self-promoting yourself, there are people in your circle who going to say, "Knock, knock, knock, knock. Hey, Ramon. Hey, Holla. Hey, the audience here, can you come to our event and what's your fee?"

6:39 That's what I do. So, running a business is not just about, you know, putting your face out there, growing. It's also about making sure you protect your business. And I know that you're an ambassador for Bit Defender. So talk to us about when you first realized that cyber security was something that you needed to pay attention to as an entrepreneur. Like did something happen where you're like, "Oh my gosh, like this is my wakeup call."

7:04 Yeah. I think it's one of those things that often times we can forget about the power of uh being more secure and the power of cyber security. I'm over I'm 52 years old and I've been in this business of content for a long time. I've recognized this for a while and I think as technology evolves, crime evolves with it, gets better and better. So, it's a constant cat and mouse game of catchup. Which is why brings us to one aspect. I'm honored to work with Bit Defender and help educate all small businesses, all entrepreneurs.

7:34 We need to be more secure. Yeah. What is it about small businesses that make them more vulnerable to these cyber security attacks?

7:41 Yeah, I think there's a few things. the larger brands, all the think of any household name brand that we see on the proverbial TV. They may have whole departments. They may have a 2,000 person cyber security team. They may spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on cyber security. And as you know, Holla, guess what? They still get hacked.

8:00 But for the small business owner, for the entrepreneur, for someone like myself, I work in a home office. I got a small remote team. I'm not thinking about I don't have, you know, five people in gleaming computers like some, you know, sci-fi movie protecting me. So, I think that's why for us and also Hala, as you mentioned earlier, we're so busy. We're clicking, clicking, clicking, clicking. Oh, no. I just clicked on a text I thought was from Hala, but it was fishing and it wasn't from her. Now, I got hacked.

8:30 Yeah. So, I think those are some of the reasons why. Yeah. And I think this is even more prevalent for creator entrepreneurs. Like we were just talking about the need to put our face out there. I don't know how many times I've gotten, you know, my team gets messages where people are pretending to be me or, you know, Jenna Kutcher's in my network and I keep getting emails from people pretending to be her, right? And so it's just so scary um for people who think that this is not a big deal. What are some of the common cyber security attacks that you see happen to small businesses these days?

9:02 That's a big issue. Same with me, people. Raone, is this you? It looks like me. It's a shaved head black guy with glasses smiling handsomely, but no, that's not me behind the account. So, I want to recognize that. So, a few things that we can do, I think. One, definitely do your best to have as complex as passwords as you can. That's one. Number two, can you try to please people try to change your passwords every so often, whatever that every so often may mean for you. a big thing even though that is even increasingly becoming less secure.

9:35 Enable two factor authentication. Half the people probably know what it is. For those who don't, that's that little annoying inconvenience but very secure. You log into your bank or you log into Starbucks and your phone gets a text that you have to enter a code in to log in. So that's number three. Also, Holl is education. You know, even my team, it's a remote team. Even if people I work with employee or not, just educating them on what I know. Hey, listen. here's the procedure where we're going to pay somebody if it's over a thousand. Here's even a more enhanced procedure. So that's those are a few things people can do. And I think actually what you asked me was also some of the attacks. You have fishing. Yeah, thank you. You have fishing which is masquerading as somebody else. You have uh ransomware and that's the dirty one where your data is fine. You just can't get to it unless you pay someone money.

10:25 So you have ransomware and you have malware. You're going to a website. you're going to a page, you're downloading an app that infects your computer. So, those are a few things. You have also the attacks where it's some uh denial of service, kind of a fancy word meaning overwhelming force is bombarding your servers, which means legitimate people cannot access it. So, those are a few of the common types of attack. And then earlier, uh I addressed uh some things people can do.

10:49 Yeah. I mean, I feel like we I've had all these attacks with me. the other day. I remember with my website, we just kept getting somebody who kept submitting contact forms and they just did that until like the website basically like froze and nobody could get on the website. So, it was somebody who's like trying to attack our company. It's just so crazy. What are the What are the motives? Like what do these people want? They just want to steal.

11:14 Wouldn't that be nice? You and I should have like a big event. Hey, all the hackers, could you come together? What do you all want? Like, could you be nice?

11:20 But I think a few things and you're right. I've gone through the same thing. And what's what's annoying about that is that you know they're overwhelming it which makes it the real customers can't get in andor I'm sure you've you know your team or you have seen the the the forms coming in I get the same one you know 102.3-102.3.0 zero and I'm like

11:36 really so all that is but I think a few things they want one some people are just being malicious and have nothing else to do with their time that's a few of the people I wish more people were just that the case number two keep in mind hala it's easier and easier to have an attack because the tools are easier anybody with the basics of knowledge if you can set up a Facebook page if you can download an app to your phone you can download malicious apps hit a button and do it so that's number two and of course the criminal element The biggest ones that are sometimes uh backed by state actors are backed by, you know, criminal organizations, you know, not just guys and gals, you know, on the street, but behind computer computer keyboards. They want to get money from Hala. They want to steal Ramon's data.

12:20 They they know that, okay, 10,000, 20,000, a million, whatever it is, people are in his database. How can we harvest that information, combine it with what else we have, create a digital persona, and maybe we can apply for 5 million credit cards? most of them won't get through but if X percentage get through they've made easy money. So that's kind of at at the highest level money is some motivation however it's packaged reselling the data or proactively ourself getting the data and of course notwithstanding breaking into your bank account directly which is a bit harder. So hence the data the data and manipulation of that is often what they want to do. So, kind of digging deeper on that, are there certain types of industries or types of companies that need to be hyper alert of people like wanting to do these cyber attacks on them?

13:11 Yeah, I wish it was. Now, for sure, if you're in the HIPPA, and I forgot what HIPPA stands for, but you know, you're in the uh uh health care space,

13:19 right? There's definitely rules and regulations regulating you. If you know Ramon gets into the new gold bullion industry, I'm gonna have to take a bit more secure than if I didn't. But Aala, I'm telling you, it's all of us. And the reason why because from metaphorically one button I hit, I can hit a button and say, "Go find me all the unprotected networks. Go find me everyone that's that has low threat levels and go attack them all at once." So that's the problem. Makes it easier. Now there there there's um what's the word? I think indiscriminate. There's there's no they're not cherry-picking. We're just going to attack pharmaceutical. Nah, we're going to attack everybody, see who we can get through, and now we'll pay more attention to them.

14:03 This episode of Young and Profiting is brought to you by Bit Defender, a global leader in cyber security. Most small businesses think that they're too small to be targeted, but the truth is we're prime targets for cyber attacks. One breach could derail everything that you've worked for. But here's the good news. Protecting yourself doesn't have to mean becoming a tech expert. That's why I turned to Bit Defender's ultimate small business security. It's a powerful all-in-one cyber security solution for small businesses. It's designed specifically for business owners who don't have a dedicated IT team. It protects all of your team's devices, scans for fishing and scams, manages passwords, and even checks the dark web for leaked info. UnlimitedVPN allows your team to work securely from anywhere. The dashboard is super simple.

14:46 I set it up in minutes, added my whole team, and now everybody is covered, whether they're in the office or working remotely. No IT staff required. Bit Defender makes cyber security so easy so you can focus on what really matters, growing your business and serving your customers. See if Bit Defender Ultimate Small Business Security is the right fit for your small business. Save 30% when you go to bitdefender.com/profiting. That's bitdefender.com/profiting for 30% off.

15:12 I want to play a fun game really quick. Let's do I feel like it's a good time for a game. It's called Cyber Heist. I'm basically going to go over a couple different fake scenarios.

15:24 Mhm. And you tell me what do we do as an entrepreneur? What could we have done to prevent this? What can we do to like, you know, placeate the issue and make it better. So, scenario one, uh, the fake CEO wire transfer. So, hackers spoof your email and trick your finance manager into wiring $25,000 to a fake vendor account. How do hackers typically pull this off so convincingly? And what system should small business owners have in place to make sure money nes?

15:57 I love this. And so, how this happens, it's very easy for technical people, which all hackers are, most of them, to spoof, to fake an email address. That's one. or instead of it being from Facebook.com being from Facebook.com and you just weren't aware as it were. So that that's how and the why it happens. The way around that is for any wired transaction to say here's the policy. We will authenticate it. We will confirm that this is what you want to do via two pre-authenticated methods. So for example, Holla, I'm going to call you back at this number. Doesn't matter what number you said to It doesn't matter what number came in. I'm calling you back at a number we both agreed things like that andor close the system.

16:42 So I'll give credit to you know something like a bill.com or other services that are built to say these are the two data points the money transfers our customers are already secure and validated and it will only be done there. We will not you know Holla's assistant won't click at 3:00 a.m. Oh Holla said to send Raone $10 and she just clicks it and sends it from your account. No, no, no, no, no, no. So, that's how to solve that.

17:05 Yeah, really great advice. Thank you. Okay, scenario two, the USB trap. An employee brings home a free USB stick from a conference and plugs it into their work laptop. What kind of damage could that one move cause? And how do you train a team so they don't fall for these low tech traps?

17:23 These are such great questions. I love this. We need to play this game like every week. So, one, love it. And that's a very good scenario. could have been a hacker, a bad actor who's targeted thousands of people at set event, you know, just put up a a box of them and said, "Hey, free take one." Or it could have been targeted. Okay, we know Holla's team is coming and it could have been more malicious like they're targeting, you know, your organization, for example. How to prevent that? Number one, companies can lock down and secure their computers. And again, Bit Defender offers solutions like that to say, "Hey, listen, install our software on all your computers. these computers or this computer at this time we're going to limit the external files that can go into the computer. So that's one. You can manually or programmatically limit what happens. Number two, of course, that's where you install software that

18:11 says, "Hey, any file that comes in from an external source, we will automatically check. And number three is really just to have great policies and say and to educate people. You have an external USB drive. It wasn't from Staples or Amazon that you got new. It was random places. Do not use this. And that's where also that third leg I talked about before, education, education, education. We tell our kids, don't get into the van of the guy you don't know. We tell them that since they're born. Employees need that same training.

18:39 And then also, there's softwares that actually block fishing and spoof domains before they can even hit your inbox. So like you could sign up with a company, I think like Bit Defender, that could actually block that stuff before your employees ever get it. I don't want people to walk in a too paranoid world, but you take your phone, Holla, so you and I know each other. There's some trust. I hope you know as we whatever it is, you can't walk in paranoid. Let's say it was a stranger. I come into your studio. Hey, my name is Raone. I was at the Starbucks and my battery died.

19:07 Holla, do you mind? Can I just And I'm still talking and moving. Can I just go to your PC, plug in, and now my phone has malware that you don't realize is now going to your computer. So things like that, watch out from everyone, but especially from people you don't know, don't trust, and haven't been validated.

19:25 Number three, you open your laptop on Monday and you find a ransom note. All your files are locked until you pay in Bitcoin. Walk us through what a smart entrepreneur should do first in that moment and what they could do ahead of time to avoid being in this position ever.

19:43 I love it. So first in that moment it is tough because the rans those ransomware emails more than not are legit and real companies have said hey we've chosen to not pay all our information is gone and we're going to start from scratch. Everybody can't do that but that is a real real scenario cuz you asked what to do when it happens. So that's real. Number two, maybe get a security expert just to verify that it's not a double fake like, "Hey, Holla, hey Ramon, your computer's locked, holla, scrambling, getting ready to pay or not, and realizes, oh, that wasn't what they said it was." So that's immediately get to a security expert who can help you with that. What to do before, that's where it goes back, as you just hinted, as you said very eloquently, blocking those things before they come in. And then good backup. Now, you need to be careful, and this is where getting an expert to help, getting the right

20:33 software to help, etc. Because make sure you're not backing up bad data, but a good backup can solve that because with the right forensic team, they can say, "Okay, great. This was infected 7 days ago. Sorry, H. Sorry, Ramon. Sorry, millions of small businesses, right? We can't help you for the last seven days, but you know what? We can bring you back to 8 days ago. You'll be good." So, that's where a good backup comes in. Is there actually a situation where somebody is asking for ransom for the data, you pay them and they actually give you your data back or is it usually like you Oh, they they they really do give back.

21:07 Absolutely. Yes. Absolutely. And keep in mind they're criminals again. Criminals are criminals. So I'm I'm sure some don't, some do. But the best of it I I'm not a criminal, everybody. But let's say I had to get in the mind of their ha I attack you. Don't I want you to pay me? Because when I attack your friend, you're going to say, "Yeah, Ramon's a total loser. He's a evil person, but we paid the 175,000. Two seconds later, we had our data data. So, you see the kind of game they play. Go take your pick, Holla. Don't pay me the 150,000. Your data's gone. Or as some have done, Yeah.

21:38 We paid them and guess what? It was back. Yeah. It's It's so interesting because I think as your company grows, you might start really acquiring valuable data. when you're first starting, like for example, I don't think we had that much of valuable data at first, but now I feel like we're starting to get a lot of valuable data that we need to protect.

21:57 That's right. And keep in mind, the life's work that you built and did, you wouldn't want just that to be shut down. I'm sure you could do it again, right? YouTube and social and all the stuff. You do it again, but think of that. You're down for 30 days or 15 days. You're not sure which devices to use. It's just going back, you know, to your business, a media company. Sure, maybe you don't have banking information on it, but that's just a your reputation. It's just it's inconvenience.

22:20 Oh my gosh. And people trying to hack into like my social media accounts. We've got all these different apps to make sure like I can't even sign into my accounts without like Kate, my business partner, like letting me in, you know, like we've got all these protections because it's it's happened many times where we almost lost our accounts. Okay, speaking of that, a hacker builds a fake LinkedIn profile, pretends to be an investor, wins your trust, and then sends a file loaded with malware. How do you spot the red flags in situations like this? And how do you protect yourself down without shutting down every potential opportunity?

22:55 I love this. Here's what I've done and what people have been the kindest to do for me. Most times, Holla, you know, you and I, for example, have a newer relationship, but I'm sure you got people you rock with on on a regular basis. Russell, whatever it is, you know their vibe. They don't they just don't write that way. It sounds weird, but at least those are some things you have to do. Like, wait a minute. Holla said, and by the way, my doggy said hello. She's never said that before. Let me just double check. Calling her on her cell or texting her through what I know. So, that's one. Number two, this goes back to be careful before you open or click.

23:32 Somebody did this to me just two days ago. They were kind enough to say, "Ramon, somebody asked me about SBA loans. Seems fishy, but was this you?" And I said, "Yes, I refer them to you to ask for help in financing." She said, "Thank you." And now she's going to work with them. So, that's a great example. She's in the financial industry. A lot of nefarious people come at her. And so, she just did a quick double check. I confirmed. She's off to the races.

23:58 Yeah. Okay. Last one. Uh, so this sounds crazy, but I've heard, you know, horror stories about this. It's real. So, hackers can sneak into your office network through something as random as a smart fridge on Wi-Fi. How does that even work? And what should business owners know about securing their smart devices and IoT gadgets?

24:19 I love this. So, your smart fridge is a computer. Your smart fridge is plugged into your network, either wired or wireless. It's not it's even more advanced than a copier even of the same principle. So once a hacker gets into your smart fridge which in itself could have its own uh to make a simpler access point. It could be broadcasting its own Wi-Fi signal. It's just a fridge. Hala it just has some yogurt and stale bananas inside. Why do we have to secure that? But guess what? That's the weak point. So the hacker gets into your smart fridge and all they do is maybe do a simple code chain, something very innocuous which exposes your entire network. So that's why even your IoT devices and a good security consultant again can set up your router, your network, all these things and segment them for you. These are IoT devices.

25:12 They should only be acting a certain way. This however is a server. This should act a certain way. So that's where kind of segmenting your network and working with a security professional at that level and installing good software, that's where those kind of things can help at for sure. Great. That's a great question.

25:27 Yeah. And all of these different scenarios actually can be protected by using a service like Bit Defender.

25:34 So you don't need an IT team. You don't need a staff of 20 people. You can work with a company like Bit Defender that can protect you from all of these different malware issues, the ransomware issues, the fishing attempts, the IoT hacking. Like there's so many things to worry about and we're not most of us at least are not IT professionals that have experience with that.

25:56 So, Holly, are you going to wake up tomorrow morning and a little more peace and I will too, but

26:00 once I get everything in place, once I get it all in place, I've got to I've got to, you know, make sure I make it happen. you know, we do a lot of like uh we've focused a lot on passwords. You know, we are using LastPass and we focused a lot on on passwords. Um but I think we need to go the next level now that we've got data and now that my persona is bigger because people are just more malicious. They just know more about us and so I think we're being more targeted these days.

26:28 Yeah. Yeah. And how that makes sense because keep in mind to your point all small businesses, all entrepreneurs are under attack. That's a given all. So I don't want people to rest. Oh, I'm not as big as Hala. Therefore, no, no, no. We all are attacked. But to your point, there is segmentation. As your brand is bigger, Holla, you reach millions and millions and millions of people. Smart hackers probably have you on their little whiteboard. Okay, guys. Oh, these are all the people in the world, but we're going to put a special focus on Hala cuz her as her brand goes because if they fish you, they'll reach more people. So,

26:58 you're exactly right in your assessment. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, let's move on to trust beyond just, you know, cyber security. Let's talk about trust with an audience, right? So, you've been able to build an audience. You're speaking on stages like we talked about. You've written books. How do you build trust with your audience? One of the things that I enjoy doing and what my clients, what the sponsors I work with have said that they appreciate. But what I'm about to tell you is I always say I have no right to talk to the audience to engage with the audience from stage if I don't know them. So how do I know them? As you mentioned, I've done it at Aspire Tour.

27:35 I've done it at VCON with Gary Vaynerchuk. I've done it at the biggest events in the world. I go through the audience beforehand. Sounds simple, but I find that not all speakers do. Many, in fact, don't. They like to stay in the green room. I get it. But I'll go, let's say Holly, you're in the audience. You're small business nobody in an honorable way, right?

27:52 Mhm. Hey, my name is Raone, which you know already cuz you're you're the attendee. What's your name? Oh, I'm Holla. I'm from Utah. Why are you here? Well, we have a lawn care business. You get what I mean? Do that three, four, five times. That's the super hack. And I can mention more, but that's the one thing I do before I get on stage. I want to walk through the audience and just greet four, five, six people. Now, that gives me a room temperature. That gives me a a vibe. I have a feeling just by talking to 10 out of a thousand of who I'm serving, who I'm talking to. That's what I do.

28:24 And I feel like the same could go for online. When people are commenting on your posts,

28:29 you want to walk into their door, which is the DMs, and have a conversation with them. What's going on? How did you find out about the podcast? Or how did you find out about me? And have a real conversation. And then you also get a pulse of like what are your for me what are my listeners like you know what are my Instagram followers like

28:47 and it's so important I I bet Holla that it makes them feel special you know in that case online imagine them say oh wow actually yeah out of all the thousands of comments Holla gets holla responded to this one and said hi and DM'd me or said thanks for being a listener that means a lot I remember Holla going back to the real world as we're online offline but the same principle I took my wife to a concert I'll never forget the entertainment you know he's a go a Christian gospel con uh gospel musician he was said thank you for flying here and seeing me it just his thanks I was humbled so you know that like you said hollow going online putting just one or two or three or four five comments out of the thousands people see that and they all feel connected to you so I love what you said

29:30 yeah 100% okay my last question for you really goes back to being a creator entrepreneur having a personal brand. Now, you've put out this website called Zone of Genius. Talk to us about what this website is for and then also how can we become a thought leader in our niche. How do we hone in our zone of genius?

29:54 I love it and thank you for asking. A friend of mine, his name is Joel. He was playing bass guitar, leading a choir, and singing at the same time. And he's a gentleman who's been academically, you know, difficult in school and things of this nature. It was a little rough for him. But when I saw him holla, I was like, "This guy is in his zone of genius." True story. Right there in the spot, pulled up my phone, bought the domain name, and I held it for about half a year or so. And I and when I sold one or two other things that I assets, you know, publications I had, I built Zone of Genius because that to me is the epicenter of entrepreneurship. What's your passion? What do you love? What excites you? And if you can add on to it what you do freaking so well that I think we are we have earned the right to be in our zone of genius. So that's why I started it at zoneofgius.com. Thanks for asking and really to encourage

30:43 entrepreneurs thrive build your businesses and if you can do it within your zone of genius even better.

30:50 So Ramon I end my show with two questions that I ask all of my guests. Uh the first one and you can answer however you want. Doesn't have to be about anything we talked about today. Okay. What is one actionable thing our young and profiters can do today to become more profitable tomorrow?

31:06 I love it. Build real relationships. Pick up your phone and text. Even better, voice message via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger. I do this the people in your life that maybe you haven't said thank you. Pick up the phone. Hey, listen Jerry, I just wanted to say six months ago you invited me to speak at your event. Eight months ago we did this together. Yesterday you sent me a box of chocolate. Thank you. So that's the one actionable thing. Pick up the phone. Leave a voice message ideally to a person. That's what I suggest people do.

31:33 I need to get better at that. Need to get better at that. Um, the last question is, what is your secret to profiting in life? This can go beyond financial.

31:45 I love it. My secret to profiting and life, I believe, is one of a few things, but one of the major ones I believe is um I'm risk tolerant. I don't fear failure. That's probably the better way to say it. I don't fear failure. I I I failed many times. I've messed up many times. I've I could be a better father, be a better husband, be a better entrepreneur, but I don't take myself too seriously. Although I take my work seriously, if that makes sense. That's probably the best thing I do to to be more profitable, be a better young entrepreneur is really uh not taking myself too seriously, being risk tolerant, or uh not being afraid to take risks. I want to talk about that a little bit more because I think this fear of failure really um hurts a lot of entrepreneurs because they end up not being like risky enough, not going after what they want. So what happens when you fail like how do you approach failure

32:37 and how do you get into that mindset of not being afraid of said failure? Yeah, I'll give an example of a few years ago many people know the computer company Dell Computer. Mhm.

32:48 Michael Devil was on stage at CES where you've probably been before. You know, thousands and thousands of people, one of the biggest trade shows in the world. Um, he was finishing his speech, whatever he was doing. I walked up. I didn't know the bloggers and influencers were in the back waiting for him. I was very new to this game many years ago. Holla, you can imagine. Raone stood up in the main CES auditorium. Hey, Mr. Dell, I have a question for you. He looked down and walked away, not being rude. That was meaning it was that was the appropriate time. So that's an example what I'm trying to express. I took my shot. It was the wrong timing. I didn't know it. I was embarrassed. But now years later, Raone Ray has been on stage and hosted events with with these brands, worked with the best brands and and people in the world, as you know. So that's that's my point is what I'm trying to get at is that when things

33:37 fail, I need you to think about or when you take a risk, what's the worst that can happen? Now, if it's your life, your family, your your your wife, your husband, anything that's dramatic like that, whatever it is for you, for Halo, for Raone, but if the worst that can happen is Holla's producer says, "Thanks, not a fit." The worst that can happen is Starbucks says, "No, we don't we don't use these kind of cookies." The worst that can happen is the client says, "No, you don't have enough enough experience to mow my lawn." That's the worst.

34:07 That's not too bad. Keep doing it, learn from it, refine it, and do it again. And I never stopped taking uh reasonable risk. And even reasonable is contextual cuz I've taken big embarrassing risks many times in my life, but it's helped me be where I am today.

34:23 Such great advice. Ramon, thank you so much for joining us on Young and Profiting Podcast. I love the conversation.

34:28 Thank you, Hala. I've got to give a big thanks to Bit Defender for sponsoring this episode and for helping to keep small businesses like ours safe. Protect your team, your data, and your business from scams, ransomware, and fishing. You can get 30% off at bitdefender.com/profiting. Again, you can get 30% off at bitdefender.com/profiting. And I want to shout out Raone Ray for all the insights that he shared today because as entrepreneurs, we can't wait to secure our business because it can put everything we've built at risk. One successful attack could destroy years of hard work in just seconds. In today's digital world, cyber security is not an option. It's survival. And failing to act could mean exposing our data, our customers trust, and our entire livelihood is at stake. The question isn't whether you're going to be targeted. It's whether you'll be ready when it happens. The smartest move is to

35:21 prepare now before it's too late with a service like Bit Defender. Yeah, fam. If you listen, learned, and profited from this episode of Young and Profiting, please share it with another entrepreneur who needs to hear this, who might need to also learn how to protect their business from cyber security attacks. And if you enjoyed this episode, drop us a five-star review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Castbox, or wherever you listen to the show. Nothing helps us reach more people than a good review from you. You can also catch the full video conversation on YouTube. As always, just search Young and Profiting.

35:52 You can also find me on Instagram atywithhalla or LinkedIn. Just search for my name. It's Hala Taha. Until next time, this is your host Halataha, aka the podcast princess, signing off.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Cybersecurity Secrets Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know"?

Hala Taha (Host), Ramon Ray (Guest).

What is discussed in "Cybersecurity Secrets Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know"?

In order: 0:00 Aspire Tour, Cyber Security, small businesses, South by Southwest; 5:00 Cyber Security, Bit Defender, small businesses, Jenna Kutcher; 10:00 Bit Defender, Cyber Security, small businesses, denial of service; 15:00 Bit Defender, bill.com, Facebook, malware; 20:00 malware, small businesses; 25:00 Aspire Tour, Bit Defender, Cyber Security, Gary Vaynerchuk; 30:00 Zone of Genius, Bit Defender, Dell Computer, Facebook; 35:00 Cyber Security, Apple Podcast, Bit Defender, Castbox.

What is mentioned in this Young and Profiting episode?

39 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Cyber Security, Bit Defender, small businesses, malware, ransomware, Aspire Tour. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Cybersecurity Secrets Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know"?

The episode runs 36 min; the transcript is about 7,270 words in 83 timestamped sections.

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