MSP Voice Episode 67 – "Predictable Success" with Phillip Poarch

Guest: Phillip Poarch

This week’s guest is Phillip Poarch with Tolar Systems out of Abilene, TX. Tolar has been in business since 1999 where they started with high-end consulting. In 2012 they switched over to the MSP model. Phillip has been with Tolar since 2012, the same year the changed their model. After educating their customer base on the MSP model they’ve had great success in Abilene and surrounding areas. By targeting verticals that have to deal with compliance they are able to use their expertise in security and compliance.

To help their customers understand the importance of technology they share a book by Les McKeown called “Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track-And Keeping It There”. The book talks about the life cycle of businesses and the importance of technology if they’re on a growth trajectory. By looking at the business’s level of maturity, it helps them to recommend the technology they should be implementing.
When I asked Phillip what technology he’s most excited about, he replied it’s is the upcoming release of the Rivian EV. It’s billed as the first adventure based electric truck. Tolar has already pre-ordered one and they’re very excited for its release. You can find more on Rivian here: https://rivian.com/

Listen to Podcast on Soundcloud

News of the Week

ConnectWise warns of hackers targeting Automate
https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-news/hackers-target-connectwise-automate/
Brief: If you’re running on-premise ConnectWise Automate be sure to make sure ports are NOT left open
Breach of Leading Domain Name Registrar Could Lead to an Explosion in Phishing Scams
https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/breach-of-leading-domain-name-registrar-could-lead-to-an-explosion-in-phishing-scams/
Brief: Web.com had a data breach that could involve millions of customer accounts. They claim no payment information was compromised but it could still lead to an increase in phishing attacks.
Boston data backup company Carbonite sold for $1.42b
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/11/11/boston-data-backup-company-carbonite-sold-for/HDCl5Sqd3wsdvj09i4ugYJ/story.html
Brief: Carbonite (and Webroot) have been acquired by OpenText.

Ransomware: What to Do If Disaster Strikes
https://get.msp360.com/webinar/msp360-emsisoft
Brief: Webinar on December 18, 2019, at 2 PM EST. As cybercriminals target MSPs more often it’s critical to be totally prepared and know what to do (or what not) when a ransomware attack happens. Typically, the only answer to a ransomware attack was a solid backup (assuming it was done properly) or to pay the ransom. There are other options to get your data back.