Secure Your Own House First: Degly Mendez on MSP Cyber Education

In this insightful episode of MSP Unplugged, host Paco Lebron welcomes Degly Mendez, CEO of Avanzar IT Systems (South Pasadena, CA) and Vice Chair of the GTIA ISAO Advisory Group. Degly shares his journey into MSP leadership, his focus on cybersecurity for small/mid-sized businesses, and practical ways to make education a real defensive layer.

Key takeaways include:

• Building ongoing cybersecurity awareness for non-tech-savvy SMB clients (beyond one-offs like "Be Cyber Aware" sessions) — challenges, retention tips, and scaling methods (webinars, tools, gamified scenarios)
• Metrics and stories showing when education truly reduces incidents
• "Secure your own house first": Fortifying Avanzar internally (team training, processes, tough investments) to avoid being the weak link
• Common MSP pitfalls on internal security (vendor risks, tool sprawl, early practice drops) and how to fix them
• Using the "Run, Protect, Grow" IT budgeting framework to prioritize Protect (including people education) without it feeling like a cost sink
• Evolving programs for AI-driven threats/opportunities — recent changes to stay ahead
• Best advice for resource-constrained MSPs: Scaling education without burnout or client overload, plus one non-negotiable step to fortify your own business now
• Rapid-fire: Underrated resource/habit for scaling efforts, biggest "aha" on internal ops, and the one cyber education practice he'd mandate industry-wide

Perfect for MSP owners, cybersecurity pros, and IT leaders focused on proactive defense, people-powered security, and leading by example in a resource-tight world.

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