Carl B. Johnson
Author

Carl B. Johnson

vCISO and compliance expert.

https://carlbjohnson.com

posts

cybersecurity training

How to Train Employees on Cybersecurity in 2025

The Breach That Started With a Single Click In January 2024, Microsoft disclosed that the Russian threat actor Midnight Blizzard compromised a legacy test tenant account using a password spray attack — no multi-factor authentication, no special exploit. Just a weak credential and an employee environment nobody was watching. The attackers

Carl B. Johnson Aug 17, 2025 7 min read
Ransomware Attack Prevention

Ransomware Attack Prevention: A 2025 Survival Guide

In February 2024, Change Healthcare — a company that processes roughly one-third of all U.S. medical claims — was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. The fallout was staggering: $872 million in direct costs reported by UnitedHealth Group in a single quarter, pharmacies unable to process prescriptions, and the personal

Carl B. Johnson Aug 11, 2025 7 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Security Pro's Blunt Guide

A Single Click That Cost a Hospital $22 Million In February 2024, Change Healthcare — the payment processing backbone for thousands of U.S. hospitals and pharmacies — was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. UnitedHealth Group, its parent company, confirmed paying approximately $22 million in ransom. The attack disrupted prescription

Carl B. Johnson Aug 11, 2025 7 min read
Ransomware Prevention

How to Prevent Ransomware: A Practical 2025 Guide

In February 2024, Change Healthcare — one of the largest health payment processors in the United States — was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. The attack disrupted pharmacies, hospitals, and insurance claims across the entire country for weeks. UnitedHealth Group, the parent company, eventually disclosed that the breach affected roughly

Carl B. Johnson Aug 11, 2025 6 min read
Ransomware Recovery Steps

Ransomware Recovery Steps: A Battle-Tested Playbook

The Attack That Cost a Hospital $67 Million In May 2024, Ascension Healthcare disclosed a ransomware attack that disrupted operations across 140 hospitals. Ambulances were diverted. Clinicians reverted to paper charts. The financial impact reportedly reached $1.8 billion in total losses for the fiscal year, with the cyber incident

Carl B. Johnson Aug 11, 2025 7 min read