Computer Security US Blog

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Smishing Attack Examples

Smishing Attack Examples: Real Texts That Steal Data

The Text Message That Cost One Company $15 Million In 2022, threat actors hit Twilio with an SMS-based social engineering attack that compromised employee credentials and exposed data for over 160 customers. The attack didn't involve a sophisticated zero-day exploit. It started with a text message pretending to

Carl B. Johnson Apr 21, 2026 5 min read
Phishing Prevention

How to Avoid Phishing Attacks: A 2026 Survival Guide

Last March, a finance director at a mid-size logistics company wired $2.1 million to a threat actor who had spoofed the CEO's email address. The message looked perfect — right tone, right signature, right sense of urgency. The only thing wrong was the reply-to domain, off by a

Carl B. Johnson Apr 20, 2026 5 min read
Acceptable Use Policy

Acceptable Use Policy Cybersecurity: Your First Defense

In 2023, a single employee at MGM Resorts used a corporate credential to respond to a social engineering call. The threat actor impersonated IT, gained access, and triggered a ransomware attack that cost the company over $100 million. The kicker? A well-enforced acceptable use policy — one that clearly defined how

Carl B. Johnson Apr 20, 2026 5 min read
Data Breach Reporting

How to Report a Data Breach: A Step-by-Step Guide

The Clock Starts Ticking the Second You Discover a Breach In March 2024, Change Healthcare suffered a ransomware attack that exposed the protected health information of over 100 million individuals. The fallout wasn't just technical — it was a cascading failure in communication, notification, and reporting that took months

Carl B. Johnson Apr 19, 2026 6 min read
computer security software

Computer Security Software: What Actually Stops Breaches

In 2023, MGM Resorts lost roughly $100 million after a social engineering attack bypassed every piece of computer security software they had deployed. The attackers didn't exploit a zero-day vulnerability. They didn't brute-force a firewall. They called the help desk, impersonated an employee, and walked right

Carl B. Johnson Apr 18, 2026 5 min read
Phish Tour

Phish Tour: A Guided Tour Through Modern Phishing

Welcome to the Phish Tour Nobody Asked For In March 2024, MGM Resorts was still tallying the damage from a social engineering attack that started with a single phone call. The threat actor convinced a help desk employee to reset credentials. Total estimated cost: over $100 million. That attack didn&

Carl B. Johnson Apr 17, 2026 5 min read
Fake Mail

Fake Mail: How to Spot It Before It Costs You

In 2023, a finance employee at a multinational firm in Hong Kong wired $25 million to threat actors after receiving what appeared to be a legitimate video call and email chain from the company's CFO. It was all fake — the video was a deepfake, and the emails were

Carl B. Johnson Apr 17, 2026 5 min read