Understanding the threat is only half the equation. In Part 2, we shift from awareness to action.

Shawn Mendel — Director of Professional Services and Incident Response Manager at High Point Networks — walks through what response and recovery actually look like once a breach is underway, how AI is being weaponized by threat actors, and the five areas every organization should focus on to reduce their risk before an incident ever happens.

This episode closes with practical personal cyber hygiene advice anyone can act on today — no technical background required.

In this episode:

• Leadership communication during an active breach — and why your email may not be safe to use
• How AI is making attacks faster, more targeted, and harder to detect
• Shawn's five areas of focus: vulnerability patching, configuration reviews, account management, network segmentation, and zero trust strategy
• Network segmentation explained in plain English
• Personal protection: freezing your credit, monitoring services, password managers, and why passphrases beat passwords
• Why it all comes back to people — and education

0:00 - Cold open & Part 1 recap

1:03 - Welcome back & topic setup

1:55 - Response & recovery: what happens after the first 24 hours

3:05 - Communication during a breach — including why email may not be safe

6:16 - AI's role in the modern threat landscape

8:14 - Shawn's five areas of focus

15:52 - It all comes back to people

17:35 - Personal cyber hygiene: credit, monitoring, passwords

22:39 - Guest thank you, where to find Shawn & CTA

New episodes every other Wednesday.

Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks

Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen.

Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

Cyber incidents don't start with panic. They start with patterns.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Shawn Mendel — Director of Professional Services and Incident Response Manager at High Point Networks — breaks down the modern threat landscape driving today's incidents. With nearly 30 years of experience, 15 as an engineer, and a reputation for calm, clear-headed leadership under pressure, Shawn brings the data and the real-world perspective leaders need before the crisis call ever comes.

In this episode:

• The three most common attack vectors cybercriminals use today
• Why 43% of incidents are ransomware — and what that actually costs a business beyond the ransom itself
• Business email compromise: how threat actors become someone you trust
• What to ask your cyber insurance company before you ever need to call them
• Why a tabletop exercise may be the most important thing your leadership team hasn't done yet

00:00 — Cold open: "Would you know what to do?"

00:56 — Welcome & Shawn Mendel introduction

03:21 — Episode topic overview: today's threat landscape

03:57 — Attack vectors: what we're up against

05:45 — The data: ransomware, BEC, and breach statistics

07:45 — Ransomware deep dive: history and evolution

11:08 — What to expect if you're hit: insurance, downtime, recovery

15:35 — Table top exercises: how it works and how to protect yourself

20:06 — Cliffhanger outro & Part 2 tease

New episodes every other Wednesday.

Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks

Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen.

Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

Every piece of technology has a story behind it. Not the specs. Not the features. The why.

In our first episode, hosts Andy Middlemiss and Brandi Mentele share the story behind Get to the Point — how an idea born inside High Point Networks turned into a podcast built around one simple mission: technology is more interesting when you understand what it actually does for people.

From a wireless network that helped a university attract and retain students, to a Real Time Crime Center in Pueblo, Colorado that helped save lives and find missing kids faster — this episode is a reminder that the tech on the surface can seem unremarkable. What it enables people to do is anything but.

Andy and Brandi also share what listeners can expect going forward — real conversations, practical takeaways, and a commitment to cutting through the jargon so that technology feels approachable no matter your background.

In this episode:

• The origin story behind Get to the Point
• Why the "why" behind technology matters more than the tech itself
• What's coming in future episodes

0:00 - Introduction & welcome
0:56 - The origin story behind Get to the Point
3:45 - Why the "why" behind technology matters
6:30 - The City of Pueblo Real Time Crime Center story
7:45 - What listeners can expect going forward
9:00 - Outro & CTA

Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

New episodes every other Wednesday.

Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks

Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen.

Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

IT is complicated. This podcast isn't.

Get to the Point is where real IT experts have real conversations, cutting through the noise to give business leaders, IT professionals, and curious minds the clarity they *actually* need.

Hosted by Andy Middlemiss and Brandi Mentele, each episode digs into the deeper "why" behind the technology that runs your business. We’re here to make it all feel less overwhelming and more...human.

No fluff. No vendor pitches. Just honest talk about what's working, what isn't, and what's coming next.

Season 1 kicks off April 1st. Subscribe now so it's waiting for you.

Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.

New episodes every other Wednesday.

Connect with us: 🌐 highpointnetworks.com 📱 LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @highpointnetworks

Subscribe — Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | And wherever you listen.

Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.