The Lighthouse IT Podcast

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - June 26th, 2026No AC, No Problem. Lessons from a Week Without Air Conditioning.In this episode of the #LighthouseITPodcast, we reflect on the rapidly changing business landscape and the importance of business resilience. While many businesses focus on cyber threats or technological failures, environmental surprises, such as an unexpected air conditioning failure during the hottest week of the year (like in our case), can test an organization’s resilience in unique ways.Don't miss out on our discussions and more!⁠https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/building-business-resilience-the-disruption-you-don-t-see-coming-46700:00 The He-Man Movie00:25 Nostalgia and Box Office Worries01:39 Humor vs Heroism Debate02:42 Hot Topics Office Heat03:27 Business Resiliency Defined05:56 AC Failure Timeline Recap07:55 Remote Work Playbook and Tools13:23 Continuity vs Resilience Mindset14:57 Threats and Operational Fragility16:56 Uncontrollable disruptions17:21 Power and internet risks18:25 Cloud tradeoffs and security19:46 Recovery continuity resilience21:52 Team mobility playbook22:52 Tailored resilience planning24:13 Key person and automation25:21 Single system and backups27:02 Homework and real examples29:58 Test disruptions and improve30:36 Episode wrap and resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - October 3rd, 2025This week, Matt and Griff cover a range of topics, including Jaguar Land Rover's recent £1.5 billion loan to recover from a cyber attack, the emergence of Spam GPT, GPT's interaction with online shopping, and upcoming features like Chat GPT Pulse. We also touch on the ongoing legal battles of tech giants like Google and TikTok, and delve into some clever guerrilla marketing tactics employed by major brands. Tune in for engaging conversations and notable insights as we kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month!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/jaguar-land-rover-hack-spamgpt-no-chrome-sale-mischief-marketing-438

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - September 19th, 2025This week, Mark and Matt examine the new reality where AI bot traffic has surpassed human web activity, while simultaneously exploring how AI is reshaping both threats and defenses. We cover emerging challenges from Gen Z workers' security blind spots, AI-powered ransomware targeting developer tools, rising AI costs, and Google's open-source FACADE anomaly detection system. AI has become cybersecurity's ultimate double-edged sword, creating sophisticated new attack vectors while offering powerful defensive capabilities.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/ai-dominated-web-traffic-ai-becoming-both-the-threat-and-a-shield-437

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - September 5th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff discuss the wild intersection of cybersecurity, branding blunders, and algorithmic overreach. From an exploit that ripped through SonicWall to a disgruntled developer’s revenge code that landed him in prison, the digital world is anything but quiet. Add in Cracker Barrel’s $100 million logo misstep, Instagram’s stealthy ad tactics, and YouTube’s AI age guessing game, and you’ve got a week full of tech drama, corporate lessons, and a few laughs!  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/sonicwall-exploit-cracker-barrel-s-logo-youtube-age-guessing-426

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - August 22nd, 2025Join us in this episode of the Lighthouse IT Solutions podcast as we dive into a variety of topics! From discussing weekend movie plans including 'Barbarian', 'Him', and 'Nobody 2', to talking about technological advancements and AI's impact on the economy. We cover wins in the tech industry, such as Epic Games' antitrust case against Google, and the rising influence of AI in the market. We also highlight shifts in social media platforms like Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and explore upcoming events at Lighthouse HQ like an AI-focused class. 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/the-end-of-dial-up-chatgpt-5-ai-browsers-pinterest-won-over-gen-z-423

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - August 8th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff uncover the hidden superpowers of everyday technology:🫨 Millions of Android phones are now part of a crowdsourced earthquake alert system.🐧 The surprising surge of Linux on desktops as it challenges Windows and macOS.🤵 Microsoft Edge gets an AI 'Copilot' butler.🏫 ChatGPT gets a new "Study Mode" designed to teach, not just tell.🤖 AI is also apparently making us talk differently.🌐 A critical new security vulnerability where hackers are hiding malware in a place you'd never expect: DNS records.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/seismic-phones-ai-browsers-dns-malware-and-linux-desktops-418

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - July 25th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff dive into:🎸 Soundslice's Accidental Feature: Music learning platform Soundslice noticed users mistakenly believed it had a feature for scanning ASCII tablature for guitar due to misinformation from ChatGPT. Instead of correcting the error, Soundslice decided to develop the feature.🔍 Instagram Now Google-Searchable: Public posts and reels from Instagram's professional accounts are indexable by search engines like Google and Bing, giving creators more search visibility.🌐 GEO - The New SEO: The emergence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) marks a shift in search strategies.🚦 Google's AI Mode and Traffic Impact: Google's AI-generated search answers, which compile data from various sources quickly, might reduce traffic and ad revenue for content creators.📉 AI Content and SEO Rankings: A study suggests AI-generated content doesn't significantly harm SEO rankings. However, lightly AI-assisted or more human-written content performs better in top spots.🤖 Grok 4 by xAI: Grok 4 shows promising results in programming tasks but faced backlash for generating inappropriate content. xAI claims adjustments have been made for neutrality.🎥 AI-Generated Video Worlds by Veo 3: Google's Veo 3 can simulate physics and movement in videos, potentially transforming video production and the future of interactive media. Does that mean AI games are on the horizon?📱 Foldable iPhone Prototype: Apple's foldable iPhone has moved from rumor to prototype, with a possible release by 2026.🔒 Ingram Micro Cybersecurity Incident: IT distributor Ingram Micro suffered a cybersecurity breach, potentially causing operational disruptions.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/ai-feature-requests-instagram-indexed-grok-4-foldable-iphone-ingram-micro-hack-416

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - July 11th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff dive into:🏎️ Apple's F1 Movie Races to the Big Screen, and Controversy🪦 RIP Blue Screen of Death. Meet Its Dark Successor🖼️ PNG Format Is Back, and It's Better Than Ever🗣️ Branding 101: Should Your Company Yell or Whisper?🤑 Cloudflare Tells Bots to Pay Up📈 Bots Buying Ads? Google's Agent2Agent Advertising Revolution💧 16 Billion Passwords Leaked?! Not So Fast.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/apple-s-f1-play-blacksod-png-3-0-bots-paying-up-agent2agent-ads-410

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - June 27th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff dive into critical cyber alerts as the "Scattered Spider" group targets insurance firms and CISA issues urgent warnings for TP-Link and Zyxel devices. In the gaming world, a new handheld war begins with the Microsoft/Asus ROG Ally taking on the record-breaking Nintendo Switch 2. Plus, we break down Google's new conversational AI search, Meta's shift to Reels on Facebook, and the arrival of ads in WhatsApp.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/scattered-spider-handheld-wars-and-the-future-of-ai-search-407

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - June 13th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff discuss the future of AI, spacey software loopholes, Apples rebranding, Gen Z's surprising take on data privacy and why your LinkedIn post probably isn't going viral.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-podcast-2/claude-4-forever-trials-gen-z-data-deals-linkedin-algorithm-seo-2-0-405

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 30th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff talk about how HBO is renaming itself again, the Pope's trading card craze, Collage students using AI to "cheat", Apple and BYOD, Coinbase's breach due to bribery, Regeneron buying 23andMe, why your IT budget might be dangerously low, and much more! https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/holy-cards-cheating-grads-coinbase-bribery-buying-23andme-it-cuts-400

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 16th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff discuss:🕹️ How Gemini 2.5 Pro beat Pokémon Blue🎵 The Janet Jackson Song Crashed Laptops for 9 Years🔑 OpenAI's Restructuring and Microsoft Holding the Keys📊 AI Usage Stats in 2025: Beyond Search and Code🔍 When AI Workers are coming and the Security Risks⚖️ The new App Store Freedom Act🛻 The Slate Auto Debut, A $20K EV Pickup⁠https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/how-a-song-crashed-hdds-app-store-freedom-an-ev-truck-ai-shakeups-395

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 2nd, 2025This week, Matt and Griff delve into how Sam Altman stresses the unexpected computational cost of digital politeness in AI interactions, security vulnerabilities, such as a critical flaw in CentreStack and Triofox, and an unconfirmed Oracle Cloud breach. Also, Apple is looking at new Vision models to advance their AR technology, how iPadOS might soon resemble MacOS, and global manufacturing shifts due to tariffs. In the realm of antitrust, Meta faces scrutiny from the FTC over acquisitions, while Google is challenged for monopolistic practices in ad tech. Shifting strategies emerge as OpenAI considers browser ventures and Google navigates privacy and global platform dynamics. Lastly, social media platforms like LinkedIn and Pinterest are now focusing on user education to enhance content creation and marketing skills, reflecting an evolving landscape in digital communication and learning.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/security-scares-politeness-costing-ai-and-tech-industry-shakeups-390

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - April 18th, 2025This week, we discuss the latest tech breakthroughs, as well as some history. They explore Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration, where past and present CEOs reflected on the company's influential history and future potential. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 boasts some upgrades and exciting new games. Additionally, Roblox's collaboration with Google to provide immersive ads aimed at Gen Z, alongside YouTube's "Inspiration" tab for content creation. Finally, focusing on cybersecurity, there is a potential vulnerability associated with Palo Alto's GlobalProtect, and Google introduces Sec-Gemini v1, an AI model designed to bolster cybersecurity defenses!https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/microsofts-50th-switch-1-5-roblox-google-partner-youtubes-ai-388

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - April 4th, 2025This week, we discuss a wide range of developments in the tech world, first the Pebble Smartwatch. The Core 2 Duo ($149) is bringing back the nostalgia of the original Pebble with the same black-and-white e-paper display and a battery life lasting over 30 days. The addition of an in-device speaker for chatting with AI assistance is a modern touch. The Core Time 2 ($225) is a more featured-rich option with a touchscreen, color e-link display, heart rate monitor, and a metal frame. This makes it more competitive in the current smartwatch market while holding onto the simplicity that made Pebble popular.In other news, Microsoft announced that Skype would officially shut down on May 5, 2025. With Zoom's rise in popularity during the pandemic and Microsoft shifting its focus to Teams, Skype's decline reflects the rapid pace of the change in communications technology.23andMe, the popular genetic testing company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking a court-approved sale. This raised concerns about the privacy of genetic data, especially since some countries outside the U.S. don't have the same strong protections in place. Genetic data's use in non-health-related contexts is still a growing issue.Roku's new startup video ads that play before the home screen loads have sparked frustration among users, with some threatening to switch to other platforms. Roku has already rescinded the change. While Roku might adjust this strategy, it signals a broader trend of increasingly aggressive advertising in streaming services, which could alienate viewers in the long term.Meta plans to introduce millions of AI-generated profiles that will engage on Facebook and Instagram, mimicking real users. These profiles will feature realistic bios and images, leading to the potential for widespread misinformation. This move adds concerns about AI's impact of social media and the authenticity of online interactions.Open-source developers have reported AI web crawlers are consuming an increasing amount of website traffic, which is causing issues for community-managed resources. These crawlers are essentially contributing to what resemble DDoS attacks, overloading servers and disrupting access. New tools are being developed to defend against these crawlers, but industry leaders have yet to adopt better practices to address this growing problem. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/23andme-bankruptcy-skype-shutting-down-pebble-watches-meta-bots-379

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - March 21st, 2025This week, we discuss the massive security update for Windows; make sure you install it as soon as possible! Additionally, more security updates include a new VMware exploit that has been discovered and patched. We now have the first reported incident of an AI-created ransomware attack, with the unfortunate victim being Sorbonne University. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is teaming up with Digg founder Kevin Rose to revitalize Digg with a focus on AI innovation. Automakers are latching onto the idea of advertisements in cars; however, safety experts point to a recent glitch as an example of how this can be dangerously distracting while driving. Flashes has just launched to the public as a Bluesky-based photo-sharing app that seeks to compete with Instagram. Meta is testing a new chatbot AI built specifically for businesses to enable more engagement with their customers. Google is in an interesting position, with some research showing it might be losing its position as younger generations prefer AI to traditional search, but at the same time, Google Search grew by 21% in 2024. Google's response to this is to further pursue AI with the intention of introducing AI-only search results.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/ai-search-ai-social-media-ai-ransomware-in-car-ads-378

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - March 7th, 2025This week, Matt and Griff discuss their favorite computer manufacturer, Framework, and their upcoming releases. To no one's surprise, another Fortinet vulnerability has been discovered and patched, but not that many people have installed the patch. While cybersecurity knowledge is becoming more common, it does not always apply to new technology, as many employees are inputting sensitive data into AI prompts with little concern for security. Taiwan has detained a Chinese-crewed ship that it suspects has been the cause of several sabotaged underwater cables. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has confirmed their plans to launch paywalled subreddits sometime this year. Reports say that Apple Maps is reevaluating how it will handle paid search ads for local searches, possibly leading to more ads on the platform. AI continues to make itself more inescapable as Bing's new Copilot Search copies Google's AI Overviews formula. Speaking of Google, they have backtracked on earlier statements and have introduced a new policy to track users across all their devices with no ability to opt-out. LinkedIn is adding analytics for your comments, so now you can check things like how many people have viewed it, and Instagram is also updating its comments by allowing brands to pin paid comments to the top of posts and Reels.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/framework-fans-copilot-search-fortinet-vulnerability-ai-security-377

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - February 21st, 2025This week, Matt and Griff discuss OpenAI's allegations that DeepSeek used OpenAI's models to train DeepSeek's open-source model. Bing is seeing a rise in search engine usage and authority due to its collaboration with ChatGPT, with some companies reporting better results from Bing Ads than Google Ads. Microsoft removed the price wall for the OpenAI o1 model addon, which is now free for all Copilot subscribers. Google is seeing a massive decrease in clicks overall as AI Overviews on search results pages reduce the number of people clicking search results. Google is also struggling with engaging Gen Z, which is largely migrating to Instagram and TikTok for product discovery. YouTube is seeing a shift as more users are accessing it through TVs than mobile devices. Meta is also working to try to attract more Gen Z users with a recent announcement of a Facebook refresh that might take you back to the 2010s. There was a recent cybersecurity win when ransomware group 8Base was effectively shut down after members were arrested in Thailand. Apple has released an emergency security update after a vulnerability was discovered in iOS. And finally, hackers are exploiting Google Tag Manager to skim credit cards on Magneto-based e-commerce sites.https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/ainception-social-stats-8base-less-google-tag-skimming-376

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - February 7th, 2025 This week, Matt and Griff discuss Google releasing the source code for Pebble OS and allowing for the creation of a new Pebble smartwatch. Finally! Sweden has seized a ship known as Vezhen over suspicions that it is directly responsible for the recent damage to the Baltic Sea fiber data cable running to Latvia. Last year, UnitedHealth reported that 100 million people were affected by a data breach; that number has now been updated to 190 million, the largest healthcare data breach in the U.S. A serious vulnerability has been discovered in many Apple chips in Macs, iPhones, and iPads that can leak credit card details, locations, and more. eBay has started a partnership with Facebook Marketplace to try to help improve the visibility of listings and expand their reach beyond their local markets. And finally, the latest big news in AI is DeepSeek, specifically the open-source R1 model, which has quickly outpaced the rest of the industry. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/pebble-os-apple-chip-vulnerability-unitedhealth-breach-deepseek-375

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - December 27th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss how Amazon Auto now lets you buy a Hyundai online, how Automattic must restore access to WordPress.com, sparking a very passive-aggressive response, Ev Williams introduced his new app, Mozi, designed to help facilitate in-person connections, Instagram launched 'Trial Reels,' allowing users to test new content with general audiences, Temu is now the most downloaded app on the App Store, surpassing Threads and TikTok, and finally, we review a Pew Research study on U.S. teens' social media habits in 2024, revealing the most popular platforms and demographics! https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/pineapple-checkboxes-social-stats-wrapped-buying-a-car-on-amazon-368

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - December 13th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss Meta's ambitious $10B plan to build a world-spanning undersea fiber-optic cable. The countdown for TikTok continues as the Appeals Court has upheld the decision that TikTok must be sold or banned in the United States, although they now plan to appeal the Supreme Court. The Browser Company is now working on developing a web browser with AI tools integrated directly into it. Zoom is also planning on going in on AI to the point of shifting focus away from video conferencing for what it calls "Zoom 2.0". The Google App on iOS has begun to automatically convert website text into links to Google Search results without input from the user or site owner. Emerging details on the Chinese hack of major US telecommunications networks are raising major concerns among US officials over the security of telecommunication infrastructure. Finally, Bluesky now has nearly 25M daily active users, but the EU wants them to comply with their digital regulations, and many people have called them out as to the validity of their claims of being a decentralized platform. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/meta-s-10b-cable-telco-trouble-google-hijacking-blueskys-ahead-367

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - November 29th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss recent security updates for MacOS, iOS, and VMware, including active exploitation of vulnerabilities and a Zero-Day flaw in Palo-Alto Firewalls enabling authentication bypass and root access. Finnish authorities suspect sabotage in the C-Lion1 data cable break. Amazon leaked data on 2.8M employees, while Chinese hackers targeted telecoms, including T-Mobile, in a months-long cyber-espionage campaign. The DOJ is challenging Google’s search monopoly, and OpenAI plans to launch a versatile AI agent, 'Operator.' Canada is forcing ByteDance to shut offices over security concerns, and Australia eyes social media restrictions for under-16s. Curious about influencer marketing costs? https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/palo-alto-zero-day-googles-legal-battle-social-media-laws-more-366

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - November 15th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss Apple's updates to the Mac Mini hardware, Walmart is pushing hard towards eCommerce, even going so far as to implement a brand integration into Roblox and integrate actionable AI into its customer support chatbots. To everyone's shock and surprise (we are not actually surprised by this), another Fortinet vulnerability has been discovered and is actively exploitable by bad actors. Japanese researchers have recently launched the world's first wooden satellite into space to be studied for the potential of future wooden satellites. The vast majority of online reviews can be found on Google Business Profiles, and the vast majority of customers who leave those reviews expect said businesses to respond to those reviews. The increasingly popular Spotify Wrapped is nearly upon us, and while most users are simply excited to see a recap of what music they listened to, many brands are excited to copy the idea for their own services. And finally, recent reports show us which countries spend the most time, on average, interacting with social media. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/mac-tiny-walblox-fortijump-wooden-satellites-365

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - November 1st, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss the recent discovery of the largest prime number known to date, and holy cow, it's a big one. Also, do you remember when Windows 10 was going to be Microsoft's last OS? Lighthouse IT Solutions remembers. But unfortunately, it doesn't matter anymore since Microsoft announced Windows 10's end of life will happen in less than a year! Hurricane Helene caused terrible damage; the most directly relevant to our industry wasn't first obvious but could be an interruption to the semiconductor supply chain. We go through some more WordPress drama, and The Internet Archive recently suffered a massive DDoS attack, taking down much of their services. In some good news, the FTC has finalized a rule to help consumers by forcing companies to make it easy and quick for users to unsubscribe from their services. Finally, an intern at ByteDance, owners of TikTok, was fired for embedding malicious code into their AI models. Also, this is a day late, but Happy Halloween. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/prime-time-click-to-cancel-death-of-windows-10-364

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - October 18th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss the growing dispute between WordPress.org and WP Engine over their contributions to the open-source project vs. their monetization of it. The internet domain .io has seen a spike in popularity from tech companies, but a potential upcoming change in domain ownership could also cause other unexpected changes to come. Cloudflare was thankfully able to thwart the largest DDoS attack ever, perpetrated using a series of compromised home routers. Finally, another set of major vulnerabilities has been discovered, and a patch has been released for another set of routers, this time Draytek; make sure you update your router with the latest patches. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/open-source-arguments-ddosflare-day-break-355

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - October 4th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss the discovery that Meta has been scraping public posts on Facebook and Instagram since 2007 and using that data to train their AI models. TikTok is hoping to avoid a ban in the U.S. without selling themselves and has taken their plight to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Additionally, TikTok has recently implemented search ads onto its platform, allowing advertisers to target users based on what they are searching on TikTok, and many younger people are using TikTok as a search engine. Speaking of search engines, Google Search now integrates The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine into its search results, allowing users to see past versions of web pages. Unfortunately for Google, they are still embroiled in their anti-trust lawsuit, although the CEO of YouTube, a company they also own, has testified on their behalf. Maker of Wi-Fi chipsets, MediaTek, recently released a patch for a critical vulnerability; make sure all your wireless devices are updated with their latest security patches. Finally, ServiceNow instances were found to have a data leak vulnerability due to a default misconfiguration in their Knowledge Base access control settings. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/wi-fi-chipset-hole-scraping-meta-google-archive-bantok-353

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - September 20th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss Yelp filing an antitrust lawsuit against Google on the grounds of Google unfairly dominating local search and advertising. Also unfortunate for Google, the DOJ recently ruled against them in their recent antitrust case, finding Google to be guilty of maintaining a "trifecta of monopolies" in the search market. Apple is looking to increase the functionality of the AirPods, with the upcoming AirPods Pro 2 including hearing aid features for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. For your weekly dose of schadenfreude, a group of TikTok users thought they figured out a sneaky way to exploit Chase ATMs for free money, only to figure out that actually, they were just committing check fraud. Phishing is one of the most common methods scammers use to trick people into giving them their data, passwords, and money, and the latest version of phishing that is on the rise is malicious QR codes, often pasted over legitimate ones. Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, has filed a report with regulators announcing that they have suffered a data breach, full details of the scope of this breach are still pending. Finally, and most importantly, we need to decide once and for all, what is the best breakfast cereal? https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/google-s-trust-issues-crimetok-cereal-competition-352

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - September 6th, 2024 This week, Matt and Griff discuss how issues with the Boeing Starliner have led NASA to drop it from use, the approach of Microsoft's new Windows Recall AI feature and the potential cybersecurity risks, the FTC recently imposed a ban on the buying and selling of fake reviews online, the rise of AI and its eager embrace from search engines and the negative effects that it is having on websites, and Chinese state-sponsored hackers were able to breach several US ISPs to steal data and load malware. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/drifting-into-the-void-ftc-review-ban-windows-recall-an-isp-breach-351

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - August 23rd, 2024 This week, Matt & Griff discuss Apple Mail's latest update using AI to create and display summaries of your inbox instead of just the first line of emails. Reddit is strongly hinting at the introduction of paywalls on its site, possibly hiding popular subreddits behind a pricetag. The Google Graveyard grows as Chromecast is discontinued for the new (AI-enabled) Google TV Streamer to be released next month. The largest data breach ever just happened; Jerico Pictures, dba National Public Data, got hacked, leaking 2.9 billion people's personal information, including SSNs. Security awareness company KnowBe4 almost fell victim to a North Korean state actor who used stolen identity and AI deepfakes to infiltrate the company and attempt to inject malware. The Trump presidential campaign also fell victim to a hack, but reports haven't confirmed it to be a targeted attack, though it seems to be from a business email compromise. CrowdStrike president, Michael Sentonas, is one of the few people to accept a PWNIE award in person in recognition of significant blunders in cybersecurity. And finally, the Justice Department is considering breaking up Google after it was found to have an illegal monopoly. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/pii-of-3-billion-leaked-google-monopoly-crowdstrike-s-fail-award-349

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - August 9th, 2024 This week, Matt & Griff discuss the tension in the cybersecurity industry after the Broadcom takeover of VMware threatens massive price hikes. Some items about the CrowdStrike outage and how to recover from it. AT&T has suffered a massive data breach, with data from nearly all its wireless customers exposed. Spotify has ambitions to be more than just a streaming app but its own social network. Reddit now blocks any search engine except Google from displaying its pages in their search results, conveniently just a bit after signing a deal with Google to allow their AI to be trained on Reddit's data. Google also now defaults to not indexing the majority of content, only doing so if they perceive a need for it, which is helpful to stem the tide of AI-generated junk but less great for smaller, more niche content. Lastly, Google has canceled its plans to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome after failing to find a solution to appease advertisers and regulators. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/at-t-data-breach-spotify-social-google-s-indexing-338

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - July 30th, 2024 You have probably heard about the global outage of many Microsoft devices, but you may not have heard all the details on why. On this special extra episode of The Lighthouse IT Podcast, Matt and Laif discuss everything we now know about the CloudStrike update that accidentally ground thousands and thousands of organizations to a sudden halt.  https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/special-report-the-cloudstrike-breakdown-337

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - July 26th, 2024 This week, Griff is nowhere to be seen after he went on that ghost-hunting adventure, but the good news is there is one more member of the Lighthouse team whom you may have not met yet. In the co-host seat this time, we have another one of our Harmony Technical Support staff members, Andrew! Listen to this episode of the podcast to hear about what makes him a vital member of the team and other cool facts about himself.  https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/a-new-voice-our-harmony-technical-support-andrew-336

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - July 12th, 2024 This week, Matt & Griff discuss another open-source web library being used to distribute malware after being bought by a Chinese company.  Also, Adobe was facing some heat after their last Terms of Use update, but they have now promised everyone they are not using user content to train their AI model(s). Of course, that hasn't helped them in the new lawsuit the DOJ and FTC have filed against them for their complicated subscription model and hidden fees, whoops.  On the other side of the pond, the EU is investigating Apple for violations of the Digital Markets Act. On the bright side, Apple announced support for RCS in iOS 18, greatly improving communication features between iPhone and non-iPhone users. Woo! No more green text vs. blue text!  But sadly, the Google graveyard gains another stone as the continuous scrolling feature of the search results page is already ending, so you'll have to click to see the next page and deal with the AI search results slowing page performance instead.  TikTok is focusing on photos with the launch of an image search feature in the TikTok Shop and Whee, their new photo-sharing app.  Instagram Notes is now a thing for short, temporary news updates.  And finally, New York has just enacted two new laws to help protect children from the harmful effects of social media. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/adobe-apple-altercations-no-more-green-texts-open-source-scares-335

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - June 28th, 2024 This week, Griff has gone missing during a hot air balloon trip, which means it's time once again to meet another member of the Lighthouse team! In the co-host spot this week, Matt has one of our Harmony Technical Support staff, Laif. Together, they talk about Laif's role, how he joined the company, some of his personal interests, and Matt even learns a couple of new things about him! https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/a-new-voice-our-harmony-technical-support-laif-325

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - June 14th, 2024 This week, Matt & Griff discuss the discovery of last year's cyberattack that caused over 600,000 routers to fail. Windows 11 is set to add an AI feature to track your activities for 90 days, raising privacy concerns. Jack Dorsey left Bluesky and now promotes Nostr as the next big social media platform. Leaked documents reveal details about Google Search and its data collection practices. Lastly, despite their inaccuracy, Google is adding ads to its AI search results. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/google-search-leak-not-so-bluesky-remembering-windows-11-321

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 31st, 2024 This week, Griff (insert zany event here), but the show must go on, and thankfully, there are still more members of the Lighthouse team for you to meet. This week, Matt talks with our Navigate Platform Developer, Mark, about his role within the company before the conversation shifts to them rambling about their love of board games. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/a-new-voice-our-navigate-platform-developer-mark-320

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 17th, 2024 This week, Matt & Griff discuss how time is finally running out for TikTok to be forced to either sell or be banned in the US, Google's plan to phase out third-party cookies is crumbling as they extend their deadline past 2024, LinkedIn introducing several new games onto its platform, some updates to the XZ Utils story! https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/xz-utils-update-tiktok-time-s-up-google-s-cookies-linkedin-games-319

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - May 3rd, 2024 Welcome back to the Lighthouse IT Podcast! We have something a little different for you today. Last month, Matt had such a good conversation with our Operations Manager, Nicole, but that episode was so chock-full of great discussion that we had to break out this conversation into a part two! So, for this episode, we have the rest of their chat here for you to listen to! They go through process improvement, business operations, and a lot about a fantastic new system we are using internally, Odoo! https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/our-odoo-journey-thus-far-with-matt-nicole-307

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - April 19th, 2024 This week, Matt & Griff discuss how some big tech companies have been involved in some shady activities lately. Apple has been accused of holding a monopoly on its App Store, Facebook intercepted messages from Snapchat and colluded with Netflix, and Google has finally agreed to make Incognito mode actually private. Also, Alphabet is looking to acquire HubSpot, while LinkedIn is introducing a TikTok-like video feed. Finally, a Microsoft developer found a supply chain attack within a major code library. https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/big-tech-troubles-almost-a-cyber-catastrophe-306

The Lighthouse IT Podcast - April 5th, 2024 This week, Griff has fallen down a well... but that means it's another chance to meet more of the Lighthouse team! This time, Matt talks with our Operations Manager, Nicole, about how she came to work here, how her role has changed, her study of initiatives for increasing employee wellness, Gallup/Clifton strengths, Arthur Brooks, and more! https://hub.lighthousesol.com/blog/lighthouse-it-podcast-2/a-new-voice-our-operations-manager-nicole-305