Carl B. Johnson
Author

Carl B. Johnson

vCISO and compliance expert.

https://carlbjohnson.com

posts

cybersecurity awareness training

Cybersecurity Awareness Training: What Works in 2022

In January 2022, the Red Cross disclosed that a cyberattack compromised the personal data of over 515,000 vulnerable people — victims of conflict, missing persons, detainees. The attack vector? A threat actor exploiting an unpatched vulnerability, combined with social engineering techniques that went undetected for weeks. It's a

Carl B. Johnson Mar 21, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Practical Defense Guide for 2022

In February 2022, Nvidia — one of the largest chip manufacturers on the planet — confirmed it was hit by a ransomware attack. The threat actor group Lapsus$ claimed they stole over a terabyte of proprietary data and began leaking employee credentials and source code. If a company with Nvidia's

Carl B. Johnson Mar 21, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware Prevention

How to Prevent Ransomware: A Practical Defense Guide

The Colonial Pipeline Attack Changed Everything In May 2021, a single compromised password shut down the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. Colonial Pipeline paid DarkSide operators $4.4 million in Bitcoin — and even after paying, it took days to restore operations. Fuel shortages hit the East Coast. Panic

Carl B. Johnson Mar 21, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware Recovery

Ransomware Recovery Steps: A Practical Guide for 2022

Colonial Pipeline Taught Us What Happens Without a Plan In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4 million in ransom after a single compromised password shut down fuel delivery across the Eastern United States. The company had backups. They had resources. They still paid — because their ransomware recovery steps weren&

Carl B. Johnson Mar 18, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware Examples

Ransomware Examples: What 2022 Attacks Teach Us

In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4 million in ransom after a single compromised password shut down fuel delivery across the Eastern United States. Months later, meat processor JBS paid $11 million to resume operations. If you searched for ransomware examples hoping to understand what these attacks actually look

Carl B. Johnson Mar 18, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware

How Ransomware Spreads: 6 Attack Vectors You Must Know

In February 2022, the FBI and CISA issued a joint advisory warning that ransomware incidents against 14 of 16 U.S. critical infrastructure sectors had increased dramatically. That advisory wasn't theoretical — it followed real attacks against water treatment facilities, hospitals, and food processors. If you're searching

Carl B. Johnson Mar 18, 2022 7 min read
Ransomware Protection

Ransomware Protection Tips That Actually Work in 2022

Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4 million in ransom in May 2021. Within months, JBS Foods handed over $11 million. Kaseya's supply chain attack hit over 1,500 businesses in a single weekend. And those are just the ones that made headlines. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint

Carl B. Johnson Mar 18, 2022 7 min read
Data Breach Prevention

Data Breach Prevention: 9 Steps That Actually Work

The Breach That Started With a Single Stolen Password In May 2021, a single compromised password shut down fuel distribution across the Eastern United States. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack disrupted gas supplies for days and cost the company a $4.4 million ransom payment. The root cause? A legacy

Carl B. Johnson Mar 18, 2022 6 min read
Data Breach

What Causes a Data Breach: 7 Root Causes Explained

In January 2022, the International Committee of the Red Cross disclosed that a sophisticated cyberattack compromised the personal data of more than 515,000 vulnerable people — including missing persons, detainees, and their families. The breach didn't happen because of some exotic zero-day exploit. It happened because of a

Carl B. Johnson Mar 18, 2022 6 min read