Ask the AuthorITy: Recent Episodes

C Spire Business

You have IT questions. We have answers. Want the inside scoop on the technology that sustains, protects and advances businesses? Ask the Authority podcast is your chance to join C Spire’s team of expert engineers as they discuss the pressing IT questions of our times. From ransomware and SD-WAN to IoT and everything in between, you'll walk away better informed and ready to tackle any IT challenge.

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Wireless technology is quickly becoming an important tool in business operations. In this episode, C Spire Authority engineer Kevin Newman shares insight on the new features available in WIFI 6 and how they are empowering business success. He also talks challenges IT teams regularly face with WIFI and how to avoid them. [Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Email us at askauthority@cspire.com]

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Everyone knows firewalls are an essential first line of defense and critical to network security. So why do so many organizations ignore them? In today’s episode, C Spire Authority expert Zach Smith explains how to get the most out of a firewall and what new features are on the horizon.

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Business collaboration is changing more quickly than you realize. It isn’t just about voice calls, chat and document editing anymore. The future looks like UCaaS solution integration with back-office systems and even virtual reality and augmented reality. Join C Spire Authority expert John Bergoon as he discusses what’s next for business collaboration tools.

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Moving to the cloud is smart – until it takes over a year to complete, goes way over budget or fails completely. In this episode, C Spire cloud expert Neil Larson discusses five common migration mistakes and how to avoid them, from failing to properly analyze apps to underestimating costs and not moving beyond the lift and shift methodology.

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Highly effective multi‑factor authentication is an easy security win. So why aren't more organizations adopting it? C Spire Authority expert Jeff Kuespert explains why multi‑factor matters, the implementation process and steps to gaining executive buy‑in.

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Think your disaster recovery plan is foolproof? Think again. In today’s episode, C Spire Authority expert Gary Nalley shares true stories of when catastrophe got the best of "well prepared" IT teams. We share tips for how to ensure your disaster recovery plan is effective and still relevant in today’s climate.

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Let's say you have all the pieces for your new data center - cooling and generators and racks. You put it all together, and everything is humming nicely. What could go wrong? Well, everything. In this episode, C Spire Manager of Cloud Services Operations Greg Mathis shares examples of when corners were cut, or poor planning ended in disaster.

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Data classification takes data storage to a whole new level by organizing data into categories based on file type, content and other metadata. In this episode, C Spire Authority engineer Jason Sikes explains how data classification works, helps organizations mitigate risk and manage data governance policies.

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As an organization’s cybersecurity risks increase, so do concerns around compliance. In today’s episode, C Spire Authority expert Robbie Morris talks about reducing attack surfaces, managing technical debt and how proper incident response helps IT teams meet compliance goals.

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SD-WAN can be a powerful tool – if planned correctly. As many IT teams are discovering, SD-WAN can cause more problems than it fixes when not carefully engineered. In this episode, C Spire AuthorITy engineers Stefan Shurin and Jason Barbee discuss the perks, common misunderstandings, engineering pitfalls and solutions.

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When it comes to Internet of Things (IoT), the very core of your business is at stake. In this episode, C Spire AuthorITy engineers Jeremy Sanders and Jason Barbee discuss common pitfalls IT teams face and how to overcome them. Topics include strategically choosing the right IoT solution, device lifecycle management, IoT security and ensuring a solution doesn’t limit your access to key data.

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As the threat of ransomware grows at staggering speeds, our highly certified C Spire AuthorITy engineer Hal White exposes the key areas that IT teams are neglecting in their cybersecurity defense strategies. From dated firewalls, to the need for multi-factor authentication on, well, everything - we dig into the risks that many IT teams don’t know they are taking and explain how to best resolve them.