In this episode of Spectruss Speakeasy, Sam sits down with John Anthony Smith, founder of Fenix24, to discuss the sobering reality of cyber breaches, the importance of resilient data recovery, and how Fenix24 is rewriting the rulebook on IT defense and restoration.
John shares the evolution of his career, starting with early ventures in IT and leading to the formation of Conversant Group, which later transformed into Fenix24. The catalyst? A devastating breach that changed the trajectory of his business. That experience revealed a massive gap in how organizations understood, managed, and recovered from cyberattacks. Today, Fenix24 is a global leader in breach recovery with nearly 300 employees worldwide and a mission built on speed, security, and survivability.
John pulls back the curtain on the alarming stats: over 86% of companies don’t have a single survivable copy of their backups. He also reveals how threat actors often use shockingly simple methods to gain access, like calling help desks and requesting password resets with no identity verification. These vulnerabilities make breach recovery not just a luxury but a necessity.
The episode digs deep into how Fenix24 mobilizes its teams in under four hours to respond to emergencies, how they protect client data with multi-layered backup strategies, and why most companies, even those hit with ransomware, fail to make significant changes to prevent future attacks.
John also discusses:
- Why organizations often make the same mistakes repeatedly after breaches
- Why many IT departments resist making necessary but difficult security changes
- The cultural and leadership gaps that contribute to cyber risk
- Why recovery should be the first investment in cybersecurity
- How insurance companies are beginning to demand stronger backup practices
In the second half of the conversation, John and Sam talk about the revival of small-town values, community leadership, and John’s personal journey restoring a historic 1927 home in Tennessee. From cybersecurity to historic preservation, this episode blends innovation, resilience, and legacy.
If you want a crash course in the real-world costs of IT neglect, and how to build systems that actually recover from disaster, this is a must-listen.
Listen now and learn why John Anthony Smith believes recovery isn’t optional, it’s inevitable.
Watch it on YouTube here
Hear it here on Spotify
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