The Lighthouse IT Podcast

Hosted by Lighthouse IT Solutions

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146

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May 2026

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About the show

Take a listen to the #LighthouseITPodcast every other week as we discuss both cybersecurity and digital marketing news! It's time to stop dreaming IT. Let's start doing IT. #GetLITS

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May 28, 2026Episode 439 min

Canvas Breach: Lessons in Cybersecurity

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 29th, 2026What Happens When 275 Million Users Depend on One Platform?In this episode of the Lighthouse IT Solutions podcast, Matt and Griffin discuss the April Canvas (Instructure) breach claimed by ShinyHunters, involving about 3.65 TB of exfiltrated data affecting roughly 275 million users across about 9,000 institutions, including names, emails, student IDs, and private messages. They recap a timeline of detection, public disclosure, a second disruption during finals week with a ransom note replacing the login page, and reports of a ransom agreement around May 11, followed by fallout, including a class action lawsuit and a Homeland Security investigation. This emphasizes the risks of vendor concentration, the need for incident-response planning, third-party risk management, backups, MFA, segmentation, and encryption at rest, and we advise impacted users to change passwords, enable MFA, and watch for targeted phishing using stolen context.Don't miss out on our discussions and more!https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/canvas-breach-lessons-in-cybersecurity-46601:28 What Canvas Is02:07 Breach Scale And Data03:08 ShinyHunters Background04:49 Extortion And Finals Week07:11 Timeline And Ransom Payment10:30 Repeat Attacks And Security13:03 Private Messages Fallout15:29 Will Hackers Delete Data17:43 What Was Not Compromised18:37 How They Got In19:20 Canvas Accountability Gap19:37 Paying ShinyHunters21:54 Vendor Concentration Risk26:12 Transparency And PR27:00 Patch Or Negotiate29:42 Third Party Risk30:45 Backups And Encryption34:07 If You Were Affected35:54 Wrap Up And Where To Watch

April 3, 2026Episode 356 min

Open Source for Business: Pros, Cons, Security, and When It’s Worth It

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - April 3rd, 2026In this episode of the Lighthouse IT Solutions podcast, Matt and Griff discuss the open source movement and how it compares to proprietary software. They explain what open source means, highlight common examples (Linux, Firefox, VLC, WordPress, Android), and outline key benefits such as lower cost, flexibility, transparency, and the “many eyes” security advantage, while noting real-world risks like supply-chain social engineering. They cover licensing basics and why support is often sold separately (e.g., Red Hat), then review downsides including weaker support, learning curves, hidden labor costs, project abandonment, forks, and licensing changes. They share how Lighthouse has expanded its use of open source, especially Odoo and related ecosystems, to reduce costs, increase control, and improve resilience amid frequent vendor acquisitions in their industry, and they encourage businesses to research options and consider paid support tiers.Don't miss out on our discussions and more!⁠https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/open-source-for-business-46100:00 Weekend Movie Banter00:29 Talking Animals Debate01:34 Podcast Intro and AI Callback02:12 Why Open Source Matters02:46 Open Source Everywhere03:52 What Open Source Means05:10 Licensing and Proprietary07:47 Biggest Pros Cost Freedom11:56 Security and Many Eyes13:03 Supply Chain Risks16:34 Customization and Forking19:44 Odoo and OCA Ecosystem22:06 Open Source Downsides22:23 Support and Documentation25:13 Complexity Getting Easier28:33 Hidden Costs of Free29:20 Free Puppy (Cat) Analogy30:28 Abandonment and Fork Risks33:05 Licensing Changes Shock33:54 Why Lighthouse Uses Open Source37:17 Cost Control and Security39:26 Vendor Volatility and Ownership43:03 Advice for Small Businesses46:40 Data Portability and ROI50:32 Wrap Up and Subscribe54:27 MacBook Neo Side Chat56:46 Final Goodbye

March 6, 2026Episode 233 min

Harnessing AI for SMBs: We Have the Technology

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - March 6th, 2026In this Lighthouse IT Solutions podcast episode, we discuss why small businesses may benefit from AI faster than large corporations, focusing on what large language models (LLMs) are, how chatbots work beyond “a fancy Google,” and why AI can hallucinate or overly agree with users. We explain tokenization and context, then contrast chatbots with agents that can take actions via tools and APIs, such as automating invoicing and other back-office workflows. Our conversation really highlights major risks like data privacy, shadow AI, hallucinations, and prompt injection, urging businesses to implement AI with a security-first mindset and human auditing. Start with repetitive, rule-based tasks, measuring ROI, and not “automating a mess.” Don't miss out on our discussions and more!https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/harnessing-ai-for-smbs-we-have-the-technology-456And if you are ready to explore AI for your business? Reach out to us or attend one of our upcoming AI Summits! https://www.lighthousesol.com/aiOr, if you are ready to roll out AI to your business, we can set up a secure AI platform tailored to your needs. https://content.lighthousesol.com/secure-ai-chat-platformTake the leap into AI, and unlock new potential for your business growth!00:00 Cold Open01:18 Why Everyone Talks AI03:38 AI Advantage for SMBs06:30 Rethinking Growth With Automation07:56 Chatbots vs Agents Explained08:35 How LLMs Actually Work10:19 Context Tokens and RAG13:12 Agents Taking Real Actions14:41 Data Privacy and Shadow AI16:32 Hallucinations and Prompt Injection17:59 When AI Agrees Too Much18:52 Prompting for Accuracy19:49 Real World Automation Wins21:38 Avoid the AI Gold Rush23:09 Partner Up for Security24:16 Standardize Before Automating25:19 Start With Robot Work26:58 Augment Humans, Not Replace29:02 Sales Outreach Done Right30:26 AI Summits and Training31:53 Secure Platform and Office Hours32:56 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps

February 6, 2026Episode 138 min

Why Are Computers Suddenly So Expensive? And What SMBs Can Do About It

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - February 6th, 2026Welcome back to an exciting new season of the Lighthouse IT Solutions podcast! As we embark on this journey, we bring with us a series of changes and insights into the ever-evolving landscape of technology. Dive into the transformations in our podcast format, the technology trends shaping the industry, and how you can prepare for the inevitable shifts in the market. (Like why your tech is pricier than ever!)Don't miss out on our discussions and more!https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/why-are-computers-suddenly-so-expensive-and-what-smbs-can-do-about-it-452

December 26, 2025Episode 2356 min

The Lighthouse IT Solutions Podcast 2025 Year-in-Review!

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - December 26th, 2025In this final 2025 episode of the Lighthouse IT Solutions Podcast, Matt and Griff reflect on the year. They break down the biggest tech stories, security shocks, and industry shifts that shaped the year, and what they mean to us, our clients, and business owners in general, heading into 2026.Highlights we cover:Valve’s 2026 “Trinity” vision: Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam FrameThe Louvre Heist and securityMajor outages like AWS and CloudflareDoomscrolling Sora 2 and the state of AI-generated mediaHow Google wasn’t forced to sell ChromeAI bot traffic surpassing human web useThe end of AOL dial-upInstagram content became indexable23andMe’s bankruptcy and data privacy implicationsMicrosoft’s 50th anniversaryNintendo Switch 2 launchSkype shutting downThe return of Pebble OS and watches (Repebble)UnitedHealth’s breach that impacted 100M peopleDeepSeek’s open-source R1 modelWindows 10 reached End-of-LifeSlate Auto trucks coming in 2026Odoo today and what Odoo v19 will doHatz AI, our secure AI chat platformzTech joining Lighthouse IT SolutionsDon't miss out on these interesting discussions and more!Read the full show notes over at: https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/the-lighthouse-it-solutions-podcast-2025-year-in-review-450

December 12, 2025Episode 2249 min

Valve’s 2026 Trinity, Opus 4.5, AI Inventors, and the AI Spy Game

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - December 12th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff cover:🧊 Valve's Gaming Trinity: Frame, Machine, and Controller Walk Into 2026📝 AI Can Invent, But Humans Get the Patents (And the Lawsuits)🤖 Anthropic's Opus 4.5: Smarter, Cheaper, and More Effort-Conscious💻 Anthropic Disrupts First Fully AI‑Orchestrated, China‑Linked Cyber‑Espionage CampaignDon't miss out on these interesting discussions and more!Read the full show notes over at: ⁠https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/valves-2026-trinity-opus-4-5-ai-inventors-and-the-ai-spy-game-449

November 26, 202551 min

State of Lighthouse Address - 2025

Join us for our annual end-of-the-year address where we dive into the latest advancements and initiatives at Lighthouse IT Solutions, as well as what the future holds. This session covers changes in digital presence, AI applications, operational automation, enhanced IT security measures, and a new face in the company. Key topics include the transition from SSL VPNs to Zero Trust solutions, SEO and AI's impact on marketing, navigating new business intelligence platforms, maximizing return on digital investments, and the strategic merger with zTech IT Solutions. Connect with our team to learn how these innovations can drive growth and efficiency in your business!🔗Learn more: https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-blog-1/state-of-lighthouse-address-2025-44800:00 Introduction and Overview00:57 Digital Presence Insights with Griffin via Momentum03:20 The Importance of User Experience in SEO05:21 Maximizing Digital Presence ROI10:26 Flexible Business Solutions16:12 Business Automation with Mark via Navigate17:13 AI and Business Intelligence19:59 Leveraging AI for Business Efficiency23:50 Enhancing Client Support with AI25:25 AI Summit and Client Engagement26:35 Security & IT Management Insights with Laif via Harmony27:06 Future of Remote Access and Security30:19 Leveraging AI for Ticket Management34:11 Open Source Solutions and Refurbished Computers38:32 Upcoming Pricing Changes42:43 Welcoming zTech IT Solutions50:05 Conclusion and Future Outlook

November 14, 2025Episode 2139 min

Louvre Heist, SonicWall Breach, AI Dumber on Mondays, & Pinterest's Purpose

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - November 14th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff cover:🔐 Password = “LOUVRE”☠️ SonicWall Breach: Mandiant Confirms State-Sponsored Attack💸 Nvidia Breaks Records: First $5 Trillion Company🤖 Is AI Dumber on Mondays?🤐 Your ChatGPT Prompts Are Showing in Google Search Console🔎 AI Training on Google Search Results Featuring Reddit🗺️ Apple Maps Ads Coming in 2026📍 Pinterest CEO Making Social Media That Doesn't Make You Hate YourselfDon't miss out on these interesting discussions and more!Read the full show notes over at:https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/louvre-heist-sonicwall-breach-ai-dumber-on-mondays-pinterest-s-purpose-44500:00 Post-Halloween Movie Talk 00:48 Spoiler Alert: Movie Ending Discussion 08:10 Competitive Eating and Joey Chestnut 09:57 Cybersecurity Failures at the Louvre 14:00 SonicWall Breach and State-Sponsored Attacks 17:35 Nvidia's $5 Trillion Milestone 18:26 AI Performance Conspiracy Theories 20:49 Secretly Switching to Cheaper Models 21:02 ChatGPT Issues and Google Search Console 22:15 Reddit's Lawsuit Against Data Scraping 23:43 Apple Maps Ads27:26 Pinterest's Appeal to Gen Z 31:09 The Rise of Sora and AI Content 36:11 State of Lighthouse and Future Plans

October 31, 2025Episode 2041 min

AWS Outage, Redis Red Alert, Claude Skills, AI Browser, & Reels First

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - October 31st, 2025This week, Matt and Griff cover:📉 #AWS US-East-1 outage disrupted major services🛏️ Eight Sleep smartbeds malfunctioned during AWS outage🌐 #OpenAI launches #ChatGPT Atlas browser, starting the AI browser wars💼 Meta revives job listings in Facebook, but within Marketplace💬 Meta to shut down Messenger desktop app Dec 15th📱 Instagram UI shifts to prioritize Reels☠️ Critical #Redis vulnerability CVE 10.0 via Malicious Lua scripts🤖 Anthropic introduces #ClaudeSkills, potentially more adaptable than MCP for custom automationDon't miss out on these interesting discussions and more!Read the full show notes over at:https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/aws-outage-redis-red-alert-claude-skills-ai-browser-reels-first-444

October 17, 2025Episode 1940 min

Doomscrolling Sora 2, Discord Hack, Palo Alto Scans, & InfoSec Burnout

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - October 17th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff cover:🤖 #OpenAI’s launch of #Sora2, a new #AI video platform that’s already topping the App Store charts and blurring the line between content creation and social media. ☠️ A potential zero-day threat brewing for #PaloAltoNetworks. 🤳 #Discord’s first major age-verification data breach and what it means for third-party security. 🙃 The growing #InfoSec burnout across the industry.🌐 They also unpack public trust issues with AI-generated search results.Don't miss out on these interesting discussions and more!Read the full show notes over at:https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/doomscrolling-sora-2-discord-hack-palo-alto-scans-infosec-burnout-440