LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome ,
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’ m often asked how I got into the IT business . My career path actually started as a signalman on the railroad , taking care of crossing protection , switches , signal systems , and stuff like that . At one point , I was given a choice of moving to Selkirk , New York , or being laid off , and it was January , so I came to Phoenix and went back to school . I attended community college at Chandler-Gilbert , which was one of three beta test sites for the Microsoft Curriculum in community colleges . I was a part of the very first class . I began my IT career in the mid-1990s , and I was given an internship with Motorola . I then went on to help to secure data that ran a nuclear power plant and submarine , worked my way up from there , and eventually started my own business .
My experience working for Fortune 500 companies taught me about economies of scale and exposed me to enterprise-class solutions typically used by large corporations . It was great experience , but I felt that small and midsized businesses deserved the same quality IT solutions . Managed Security Service Providers ( MSSPs ) have traditionally focused on large corporations , but small and midsized businesses are most often the target of cybersecurity attacks . At Bensinger Consulting , we help those small and midsized businesses with their cybersecurity , IT infrastructure , and regulatory compliance , according to their needs .
When asked why I wanted to create a magazine , I tell people that I wanted to be able to help businesses succeed in the changing landscape of IT . I also wanted to help educate them with the new requirements and new regulations in the industry . We try to help business owners and CXOs make better business decisions with regard to IT . We see ourselves and our magazine as an alternative to hiring a $ 250,000 / year Chief Information Security Officer .
As we get into the summer months and look ahead to the fall , first of all , we ’ re hoping everyone had a safe and relaxing 4th of July weekend . We want to remind readers that support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 will end on October 10 , 2023 . After this date , these products will no longer receive security updates , non-security updates , bug fixes , technical support , or online technical content updates .
At Bensinger Consulting , we pride ourselves on being cybersecurity experts and trusted advisors to our clients . I recently became a Certified virtual Chief Information Security Officer ( CvCISO ) along with our senior network engineers . This training and certification is not strictly technical . It is very security focused , but it ’ s also focused on how to help business owners and CXOs with their IT budgeting and how to make better business decisions . This will complement our many years of experience and expertise in helping businesses in IT , cybersecurity , meeting regulatory compliance requirements , budgeting , and planning for the next 3 to 5 years .
Ed Bensinger Founder and President , Bensinger Consulting
BensingerConsulting . com Arizona ’ s Leading Cybersecurity Expert ®
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