SipCyber - Presented by IT Audit Labs

What does flying a small airplane have to do with cybersecurity? More than you'd think. In this episode of SipCyber, host Jen Lotze visits Grounds Coffee Bar in Crystal Lake, IL, and draws a powerful connection between the calm of flight preparation and the peace of mind that comes from digital preparedness. After the loss of her father, Jen shares how navigating the digital side of grief revealed a hard truth: preparation isn't just smart—it's a gift to the people you love. 
This isn't about firewalls or threat feeds. It's about the human side of security—knowing where your passwords are, who has access, and what happens when you can't be the one to log in. 
Key Takeaways: 
Why preparation eliminates panic—in the cockpit and in your digital life 
The questions everyone should answer before an emergency hits • How personal loss revealed the real cost of digital unpreparedness 
Why cybersecurity should feel like calm, not complexity 
A heartfelt look at Grounds Coffee Bar and the moments that shape our perspective 
📍 Featured Coffee Shop: Grounds Coffee Bar — Crystal Lake, IL (right by the Metra station) 
If today's episode made you think about your own digital preparedness—even just a little—then this conversation mattered. Like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. 
#SipCyber #cybersecurity #digitalpreparedness #passwordmanagement #cybersecuritypodcast #digitalestate #onlinesafety #preparedness #crystallake #coffeeshop

You don't have to be in college to become a victim. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Sunshine Coffee in Lake Elmo, MN, to break down the "ghost student scam"—a sophisticated identity theft operation targeting anyone with a Social Security number, including children. 
Scammers are using stolen identities to enroll in online college programs, drain financial aid funds, and vanish—leaving real people to discover fraudulent student loans and destroyed credit years later. This isn't a distant threat. It's happening now, and your name (or your child's) could already be enrolled somewhere without your knowledge. 
Key Topics Covered:  
How ghost student scams work and why they're so hard to detect 
Why children's identities are prime targets for financial aid fraud 
The single most effective defense: freezing your credit (and your kids') 
How to check if your identity has already been compromised 
Practical steps to protect financial aid and education accounts 
This isn't about fear—it's about action. Credit freezes work. Monitoring works. And awareness is the first line of defense against identity thieves who count on you doing nothing. 
☕ Featured Coffee Shop: Sunshine Coffee, Lake Elmo, MN 
🍯 Jen's Drink: The Miel (espresso with honey and spice) 
Action Step: Freeze your credit at all four bureaus—Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis. Do it for your kids too. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity insights from coffee shops across the country, and share this with parents, educators, and anyone who needs to hear it. 
#GhostStudent #IdentityTheft #CreditFreeze #FinancialAidFraud #CyberSecurity #ParentingTips #InfoSec #StudentLoans #DataProtection #SipCyber #DigitalSafety #CreditProtection

The agreement you clicked through without reading just changed the rules. In this episode of SipCyber, Jen Lotze visits Raw Deal in Menominee, Wisconsin, and breaks down TikTok's recent U.S. Terms and Privacy Policy update—the one most people accepted without a second thought while scrolling between videos. 
Recorded fresh off a middle school basketball tournament, Jen reflects on watching kids toggle between the game and their screens, building digital footprints they don't yet understand. The new policy isn't just another legal update—it's a meaningful expansion of what TikTok collects, how precisely it tracks location, how it uses AI interactions, and how that data follows users long after the moment it was captured. 
This isn't about banning apps or blaming parents. It's about awareness. Because the systems collecting data on all of us—adults and kids alike—are sophisticated, persistent, and not designed with our best interests in mind. 
Key Topics Covered: 
 What actually changed in TikTok's updated U.S. privacy policy 
 How precise location tracking works—and why it matters 
 AI feature data collection you might not realize you're participating in 
 Why data patterns are more dangerous than individual data points 
 How digital footprints follow kids into adulthood 
 Practical steps to review app permissions and protect your household 
Don't let the fine print decide for you. Subscribe for weekly cybersecurity insights delivered from local coffee shops across the country—and share this with any parent who needs to hear it. 
#TikTok #Privacy #DataTracking #ParentalControls #Cybersecurity #DigitalFootprint #OnlineSafety #AppPermissions #SocialMedia #InfoSec #KidsOnline #SipCyber #PrivacyPolicy #TechForParents

In this episode, Jen breaks down how to "rabbit hole yourself" before someone else does. She walks through practical steps to audit your digital footprint, delete dormant accounts, and intentionally curate the top results that show up when someone searches your name. This isn't about scrubbing the truth—it's about making sure the best version of you shows up first. 
Whether you're a high school senior applying to colleges, a professional navigating career moves, or a parent helping your kids understand digital responsibility, this episode gives you actionable steps to protect your reputation in a world where everything is public—and permanent. 
🔑 KEY TOPICS COVERED: 
What OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is and how employers use it 
AI-powered background check tools like Fama and Ferretly 
How to audit your own digital footprint using Incognito mode 
Why deleting old accounts matters (yes, even that MySpace profile) 
The power of intentionally planting positive content online 
How to shape your digital reputation before someone else does 
Take control of your digital reputation today. Like, share, and subscribe for more coffee shop cybersecurity wisdom that keeps you and your family safe online. 
#OSINT #DigitalReputation #Cybersecurity #JobSearch #SocialMediaSafety #OpenSourceIntelligence #OnlinePrivacy #SipCyber #CuriosityCoffe #EaganMN

What do a North Carolina brewery destroyed by Hurricane Helene and a cybersecurity victim have in common? More than you think. This isn't just another "how to prevent hacks" episode—it's about what happens when the levee breaks. 
Host Jen Lotze shares a powerful story from Zillicoah Beer Company in North Carolina, where 10 years of hard work was washed away in an afternoon. With zero insurance payout, the owners went back to brewing basics—working day jobs and scrubbing kegs by night. Their recovery story reveals what most cybersecurity content won't tell you: 90% of bouncing back is emotional, not technical. 
If you've ever been scammed, felt that soul-crushing shame, or wondered what to do when prevention fails, this episode is your roadmap back to solid ground. 
What You'll Learn: 
The 3-step cyber crisis recovery checklist (report to IC3.gov, freeze credit, talk to a human) 
Why shame keeps victims isolated—and how community breaks that cycle 
How freezing your credit protects you while you clean up the mess 
The unexpected parallels between natural disaster recovery and cyber incident response 
Why you're not stupid for getting scammed—you're just human 
Subscribe for more no-BS cybersecurity advice that treats you like a human, not a firewall.
 
#cybersecurity #cyberrecovery #databreach #onlinescam