Cybersecurity Training For Micropreneurs
In episode 216 of Gratitude Geek, I sit down with cybersecurity and technology solutions expert Jennifer Shubow of Big Water Tech to talk about why cybersecurity training for micropreneurs and small business owners is non‑negotiable, and how to protect your business from phishing attacks, scams, and other digital threats without losing your mind. If you’ve ever wondered whether your tiny-but-mighty business really needs cybersecurity, this conversation will absolutely change how you think about online safety.
Top 5 Key Takeaways
- Small businesses and solopreneurs are prime targets for cyber attacks and cannot afford to ignore cybersecurity.
- Ongoing cybersecurity training is one of the most important protections for you and your team.
- Strong password hygiene and a good password manager are essential for keeping your accounts safe.
- Scams now arrive via email, text, and social DMs, and your computing power alone is valuable to cybercriminals.
- Having a trusted technology success partner lets you stay in your zone of genius while experts handle cybersecurity and systems.
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Small Businesses Are Prime Cybercrime Targets
If you’ve ever comforted yourself with “I’m too small to be a target,” this episode is your wake‑up call about cybersecurity for micropreneurs. Jennifer explains that “almost three quarters of all cyber attacks happen to small and medium businesses, and that includes micro businesses and solopreneurs.” Even if you don’t store credit cards or medical records, hackers still want you—your computing power can be hijacked for things like Bitcoin mining or other criminal activity while you’re blissfully unaware.
What really struck me is how often small business owners take the “ostrich approach,” burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will pass them by. According to Jennifer, the real risk isn’t just losing data or money; it’s losing the business you’ve poured your life into because a single breach takes you down.
Cybersecurity Training Is Non‑Negotiable
Jennifer’s number one recommendation for micro and small businesses isn’t a fancy tool—it’s training. “Most importantly, training, cybersecurity training, making sure that both you and your team members understand how to be safe on the internet.” She walks us through what that actually means: knowing what suspicious emails look like, how to recognize a phishing attack when it’s coming at you, and how to spot fake invoices before you pay them.
She also emphasizes that this can’t be a one‑and‑done checkbox. Threats evolve, and your education has to keep up. “Doing this ongoing training and keeping on top of all of the emerging threats is very important even to the smallest business.” As someone who works with a lot of solopreneurs, I appreciate her reminder that “especially as a solopreneur, you’re incredibly vulnerable—it’s you,” which means you are both the CEO and the front line of defense.
Password Hygiene And Password Managers
If you only change one habit after listening to this episode on cybersecurity training for small business owners, make it your passwords. Jennifer practically begs us: “Passwords—please don’t reuse your passwords, please, please, please don’t reuse your passwords.” Reusing the same two or three logins across your email, bank, and social platforms is basically rolling out a red carpet for hackers.
Instead, she recommends using a password manager—“software that creates strong passwords for you and saves them for you.” If your password is still your dog’s name plus 123, Jennifer is lovingly calling you out. When I pressed her to name names, she sidestepped the “top three tools” trope and gave a very on‑brand, white‑glove answer: consult with an IT professional who can “put together a customized solution that’s going to work for your business,” because there is no one‑size‑fits‑all. And of course, we talk about what not to do: no birthdays, no kids’ or pets’ names, and definitely no passwords written on sticky notes stuck to your monitor.
Scams Across Email, Text, And Social Media
One of the more sobering parts of our conversation is just how many doors we’re leaving open without realizing it. Yes, email is still the biggest entry point, but Jennifer reminds us “scams come from more than just email—you have to worry about text, you have to worry about messaging on any social apps that you’re on.” Those random “Hey Melissa, let’s go golfing” texts? They’re not cute; they’re bots looking for a “live one.” Ask me how I know.
Her advice is simple and firm: “If you ever get a text like that and you’re suspicious, you should not respond to that text—you should immediately delete it and block it.” The same goes for DMs and social messages. We also dig into those “fun” social quizzes that ask for your first pet’s name or where you went to high school. Those questions closely mirror common security prompts, and Jennifer’s guidance is clear: don’t post that data publicly, and don’t use it in your passwords.
Why You Need A Technology Success Partner
As entrepreneurs, we like to believe we can YouTube‑tutorial our way through anything, but cybersecurity for micropreneurs is not the place to wing it. Jennifer describes her role at Big Water Tech as being a “technology success partner,” the person who takes the weight of technology and cybersecurity off the shoulders of business owners so they can be experts at what they do best. “A lot of business owners, they don’t know what they don’t know,” she says, and that’s exactly where a trusted partner comes in.
What I love about Jennifer’s approach is how consultative it is. She spent years learning every role in the business—from customer service to inventory to project management—before moving into sales, which makes her a gifted “geek to English translator.” Her job is to understand where her clients are struggling and then “help put a plan together with my team that’s going to make their technology work for them instead of the other way around.” That’s the kind of support every micropreneur deserves.
About Cybersecurity Expert Jennifer Shubow
Jennifer Shubow is the sales leader and a technology solutions expert at Big Water Tech, a family‑owned company that started as a telecom provider in 1977 and has since evolved into a full‑service provider of carrier services, low‑voltage wiring, managed IT, and cybersecurity solutions. She took what she calls the “nepotism path” into the business, moving from a first career as a professional chef and Ritz‑Carlton alum into telecom and technology sales under the mentorship of her father, Bob Shubow.
Because she rotated through customer service, front desk, inventory, and project management before sales, Jennifer brings a rare, whole‑business perspective to every client engagement. Her Ritz‑Carlton training shows up in her “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen” commitment to white‑glove customer service, and in her desire to be the person her clients call first for any technology question, even when it’s not strictly within Big Water Tech’s scope.
“Almost three quarters of all cyber attacks happen to small and medium businesses, and that includes micro businesses and solopreneurs… you may think that you don’t have anything valuable to hackers, but that’s not true.”
Connect With Jennifer Shubow And Big Water Tech
- Website: bigwatertech.com
- LinkedIn: Jennifer Shubow on LinkedIn
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
- ConnectWise: connectwise.com — Specialized CRM and business management platform mentioned as a tool for tech-focused businesses
Final Thoughts
Cybersecurity can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re wearing all the hats in your business, but Jennifer’s message is both grounding and empowering: you don’t have to become a cybersecurity expert; you just have to take your risk seriously and get the right support. Start with cybersecurity training for you and your team, shore up your passwords, stop responding to suspicious messages, and consider partnering with someone who lives and breathes this stuff so you can stay in your genius zone without leaving your digital front door wide open.
Continue The Conversation In Gratitude Geek Lab
If this episode has you side‑eyeing your inbox, your passwords, or that “fun” social media quiz you filled out last week, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. Inside Gratitude Geek Lab, we’re all about building resilient, sustainable solopreneur businesses, and that absolutely includes digital safety. Join us at kandasrodarte.com/lab to continue the conversation about cybersecurity for micropreneurs, share your own questions, and workshop practical steps you can take to protect your business without burning out.
Stay Groovy!
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