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Phishing

Definition of a Phishing Attack: What It Really Looks Like

The MGM Breach Started With a Single Phone Call In September 2023, a threat actor called the MGM Resorts help desk, pretended to be an employee, and talked their way into a credential reset. Within hours, the Scattered Spider group had deep access to MGM's systems. The result:

Carl B. Johnson Jan 17, 2026 7 min read
Spoofing

Spoofing Attacks: How They Work and How to Stop Them

A CFO Wired $25 Million Because of a Spoofed Video Call In early 2024, a finance worker at a multinational firm in Hong Kong transferred $25.6 million after joining a video conference call where every other participant — including the company's CFO — was a deepfake. The threat actors

Carl B. Johnson Jan 17, 2026 7 min read
phishing meaning

Phishing Meaning: What It Really Is and Why It Works

In May 2025, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that phishing was — for the ninth consecutive year — the most-reported cybercrime in the United States. Not ransomware. Not cryptojacking. Phishing. The simplest attack in the playbook continues to cause the most damage, and the phishing meaning most people

Carl B. Johnson Jan 17, 2026 7 min read
Spear Phishing

Spear Phishing: Why Targeted Attacks Beat Your Defenses

In September 2023, MGM Resorts lost roughly $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider used a spear phishing voice call — a single, well-researched phone call to the company's IT help desk — to compromise the entire organization. The attacker already knew the target employee's name,

Carl B. Johnson Jan 17, 2026 8 min read
Spoof

Spoof Attacks: How Threat Actors Trick Your Defenses

The CEO Email That Wasn't From the CEO In early 2025, a mid-sized logistics company wired $3.1 million to a bank account in Hong Kong. The CFO had received an email — apparently from the CEO — requesting an urgent wire transfer for a confidential acquisition. The email address

Carl B. Johnson Jan 17, 2026 7 min read
AI Phishing Attacks

FBI Warns Gmail Users of AI-Driven Phishing Attacks

In May 2025, the FBI issued a stark warning: sophisticated AI-driven phishing attacks are now targeting Gmail's 2.5 billion users with emails so convincing that even seasoned IT professionals are getting fooled. The FBI warns Gmail users of sophisticated AI-driven phishing attacks that leverage generative AI to

Carl B. Johnson Dec 27, 2025 7 min read
Gmail Phishing Attacks

Gmail Sophisticated Attacks: FBI Phishing Warnings for 2025

The FBI Didn't Issue Gmail Warnings for Fun In late 2024, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) flagged a sharp escalation in sophisticated phishing attacks targeting Gmail users — attacks so convincing that even security-savvy professionals were getting fooled. By mid-2025, the bureau doubled down, warning

Carl B. Johnson Dec 27, 2025 7 min read
phishing email

Phishing Email Attacks in 2025: What Actually Works

One Phishing Email Cost MGM Resorts $100 Million In September 2023, a single social engineering phone call — preceded by a carefully crafted phishing email reconnaissance campaign — led to the breach that shut down MGM Resorts' operations across Las Vegas. Slot machines went dark. Hotel room keys stopped working. The

Carl B. Johnson Dec 27, 2025 7 min read
Phishing

Phishing Attacks in 2025: What Actually Works to Stop Them

In January 2025, a finance employee at a multinational firm in Hong Kong wired $25 million to threat actors after a deepfake video call convinced him his CFO had authorized the transfer. The attack started the same way almost all of them do — with a phishing email. If you'

Carl B. Johnson Dec 27, 2025 7 min read
Fake Mail

Fake Mail: How to Spot It Before It Costs You

In May 2025, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that business email compromise — a sophisticated form of fake mail — accounted for over $2.9 billion in adjusted losses in 2023 alone. That number has only grown. I've personally worked cases where a single convincing email

Carl B. Johnson Dec 27, 2025 7 min read