Inside the World of IT and Cybersecurity with Chris Church of PCS
Cybersecurity isn’t just an “IT problem” anymore. It’s a business survival issue. In this episode of Grit Won’t Quit, host Tom Mirabella sits down with Chris Church, President of the Red Bank office of PCS, to unpack the realities of today’s constantly evolving IT and cybersecurity landscape. From Chris’s early days at Geek Squad to leading a growing IT firm, this conversation offers real-world insight into how technology, leadership, and security intersect in modern business.
From Grocery Store to IT Career
Chris’s journey into IT didn’t start with formal training. It started with curiosity. While working at ShopRite as a teenager, he noticed a friend working at a small local IT shop and realized tech was where he wanted to be. That move sparked a 15+ year career in IT, beginning with hands-on repair and tech support.
From there, Chris spent five years with Geek Squad, gaining frontline troubleshooting experience before moving into a corporate help desk role at a global ergonomic office furniture company with over 1,500 employees. That role exposed him to enterprise-level systems and eventually led him into senior systems administration.
Although the traditional corporate ladder offered a path toward executive leadership, Chris realized he didn’t want to step away from the technical side of the work he loved. After a stint in the nonprofit sector and a desire to be closer to home for his growing family, he made a pivotal move—partnering with PCS to help launch their Red Bank office.
Building PCS and Scaling with Support
Chris officially joined PCS in January 2020. Despite delays caused by COVID, the Red Bank office opened in October 2021 and has experienced consistent growth ever since. Today, his local team includes seven employees, supported by a 250-person organization across all PCS locations.
That larger infrastructure allows PCS to offer enterprise-level support while maintaining a personalized, local presence. It also enables shared resources such as after-hours support, cybersecurity monitoring, and specialized engineers who can step in when unique technical challenges arise.
The Reality of Modern Cyber Threats
One of the most eye-opening portions of the episode centers on today’s cybersecurity risks—especially for small and mid-sized businesses that often underestimate their exposure.
Chris explains how many attacks begin with something as simple as email spoofing and phishing. Hackers frequently monitor LinkedIn to identify new hires, then send fake emails impersonating business owners and requesting gift cards or sensitive information. New employees are especially vulnerable if they haven’t been trained to identify these threats.
Even more alarming, cybercriminals can sit inside compromised systems for weeks without detection. During that time, they study how emails are written, set secret inbox rules to hide messages, and wait for the perfect moment to strike—often targeting industries like title companies that handle wire transfers.
PCS combats these risks using advanced tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR), security operation centers (SOC), and automated monitoring systems that can lock down accounts instantly when suspicious activity is detected. Still, Chris emphasizes that no system is 100% bulletproof—layered protection and ongoing monitoring are essential.
Why AI Is a Double-Edged Sword
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing both cybersecurity defense and cybercrime itself. While AI helps IT teams automate processes and detect threats faster, it’s also making impersonation and social engineering attacks more convincing than ever.
Tom shares a personal example where an AI-generated video using his likeness fooled even his own family. That same technology can now be used to fake phone calls, replicate voices, and bypass traditional security measures. As a result, PCS has implemented stricter identity verification protocols, including calling back on verified phone numbers before resetting passwords.
Small Businesses and the IT Wake-Up Call
Many small businesses delay investing in professional IT until something goes wrong. As Chris explains, most companies don’t feel the urgency to spend $1,000+ per month on managed IT services—until they experience downtime, data loss, or a full security breach.
Common scenarios include:
Front-desk staff handling IT without proper training
Business owners acting as accidental system administrators
Employees crawling under desks to troubleshoot internet issues
No formal cybersecurity training or monitoring in place
Once pain hits, the cost of recovery often far exceeds the cost of prevention.
Growing as a Leader and Letting Go of the “Do-It-All” Role
Chris is candid about the challenges of shifting from being the most technical person in the room to becoming a true business leader. While he still stays deeply involved in technology, his long-term goal is to work more on the business than in it.
He discusses:
Promoting trusted team members into leadership roles
Learning to properly delegate technical responsibility
Letting go of being the single point of contact for every client
Building scalable systems that allow the business to grow without burning out
Like many entrepreneurs, Chris describes the constant tug-of-war between strategy and daily operations—a challenge familiar to any small business owner.
Why Service Still Wins in a Tech-Driven World
Despite the rise of automation, AI, and large national providers, Chris believes service remains the single most important differentiator in IT.
PCS prides itself on:
24/7 live support (no chatbots for critical issues)
Immediate access to real technicians
Fast response times, even after hours
On-call engineers for complex cases
Proactive monitoring instead of reactive repairs
In a competitive market where pricing often becomes a “race to the bottom,” Chris emphasizes that service quality is what keeps clients long-term.
Final Thoughts: Adaptability Is Everything
Technology will continue to evolve at an aggressive pace. As Chris notes, even five-year plans are difficult in an industry that changes dramatically every 12 to 24 months. The key to long-term success—for both IT providers and the businesses they serve—is adaptability.
From cybersecurity threats and AI-driven fraud to leadership growth and operational scaling, this episode offers an unfiltered look at what it truly takes to protect and grow businesses in today’s digital world.
Learn More About PCS
If you’d like to learn more about PCS or schedule a free evaluation of your current IT and security setup, you can visit helpmepcs.com, connect with Chris Church on LinkedIn, or reach out directly for a consultation.
This podcast episode was filmed at Wingman Planning in Belmar.
