Protecting Pharmacy Data in the Age of Social Engineering with Chris Sykes, IT Director, MCSA, MS

2026-02-19

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Send a textSchedule an Rx AssessmentWith cybercriminal activity accelerating and AI making scams more sophisticated by the day, one of the greatest threats facing pharmacies is through social engineering. Not by hacking systems, but by manipulating people.In this episode, Austin Murray and Scotty Sykes are joined by Chris Sykes, IT Director at Sykes & Company, to break down what social engineering really is, why pharmacies are prime targets, and how these attacks are evolving through email, phone calls, text messages, and even...

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With cybercriminal activity accelerating and AI making scams more sophisticated by the day, one of the greatest threats facing pharmacies is through social engineering. Not by hacking systems, but by manipulating people.

In this episode, Austin Murray and Scotty Sykes are joined by Chris Sykes, IT Director at Sykes & Company, to break down what social engineering really is, why pharmacies are prime targets, and how these attacks are evolving through email, phone calls, text messages, and even deep-fake technology.

We cover:

What social engineering is and how pharmacies are being targeted today
Common pharmacy-specific scams, including fake refill notices, insurance requests, and ACH change attempts
How AI and deep-fake voices are raising the stakes
Practical steps pharmacies can take to slow down, verify requests, and protect PHI

And more!

More About Our Guest:

Chris Sykes is the Director of IT at Sykes & Company, P.A., where he has been a key part of the team since 2006.

With nearly 25 years in the IT industry, Chris combines deep technical expertise with a passion for helping both the firm and its clients become more efficient, secure, and technology-driven.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Master of Science in Technology Systems, both from East Carolina University.

Outside of work, Chris enjoys running marathons, fishing and hunting with his boys, and spending quality time with his family at the beach.

Learn more about Chris Sykes:

Chris Sykes LinkedIn

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Scotty Sykes – CPA, CFP LinkedIn

Scotty Sykes – CPA, CFP Twitter

More resources on this topic:

Podcast - AI, Audits, & Advocacy: The Pharmacy Survival Guide with Trenton Theide

Podcast - Navigating Cybersecurity, NIST and HIPAA

Blog - Technology, Security and Your Pharmacy

Blog - Protect You and Your Pharmacy: The Growing Threat of Ransomware

Blog - Backing Up Your Business Data

Blog - Spot a Hacked Email or Bad Website

Blog - Protect Your Pharmacy Data from Hackers

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