Craig Leikis - Nerdworks

In this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, host Buddy Broyles interviews Craig Leikis, founder of Nerdworks Services, LLC . Drawing on over 30 years of IT experience, Craig explains how Nerdworks supports small-to-midsize businesses—from solo entrepreneurs to co-managed IT teams—by delivering enterprise-grade cybersecurity and tailored managed IT services .

The conversation highlights real-world security interventions, including stopping a $700,000 wire transfer fraud scheme as well as 24/7 network monitoring, email security, and end-user security awareness training . Craig also shares his balanced perspective on AI in the workplace, emphasizing how companies can leverage AI tools for efficiency while establishing strict guardrails around data privacy and sensitive information .

Contact:

https://nerdworks.services/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleikis/

https://www.facebook.com/nerdworks.services

craig@nerdworks.biz

Key Takeaways

Accessible IT for Small Businesses: Nerdworks specializes in serving micro-businesses and small firms (starting as small as 1–2 employees) that lack internal technical expertise but require robust cybersecurity.

Flexible Support Models: Services scale from serving as a complete outsourced IT department to co-managing operations alongside an existing, stressed in-house IT professional .

Rapid Cyber Fraud Intervention: Craig highlights a case study where his team performed a forensic investigation on compromised email logs, successfully thwarting a $700,000 fraudulent real estate wire transfer .

Multi-Layered Security Stack: Comprehensive defense includes firewalls, behavior-monitoring antivirus software capable of isolating infected devices in real time, and email identity protection .