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Cybersecurity Awareness

Articles on cybersecurity awareness cover the foundational knowledge individuals and organizations need to recognize and respond to digital threats. Topics include safe browsing habits, password hygiene, social engineering tactics, and building a security-first culture across teams.

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Data Breach

What Causes a Data Breach: 7 Real Threats in 2021

In July 2020, Twitter disclosed that attackers had compromised 130 high-profile accounts — including those of Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Apple — through a social engineering attack targeting employees with access to internal tools. The breach didn't involve some exotic zero-day exploit. It started with phone calls to Twitter

Carl B. Johnson Jan 20, 2021 7 min read
Strong Passwords

How to Create a Strong Password: A Practical Guide

In the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, over 80% of hacking-related breaches involved stolen or brute-forced credentials. Not sophisticated zero-day exploits. Not nation-state malware. Passwords. The single thing most people treat as an afterthought is the single thing that gets most organizations compromised. Knowing how to create a strong

Carl B. Johnson Jan 14, 2021 7 min read
Password Manager

Why Use a Password Manager: A Security Pro's Take

In December 2020, SolarWinds disclosed one of the most devastating supply chain compromises in history. But buried in the early reporting was a detail that made every security professional wince: a critical password — "solarwinds123" — had been publicly accessible on GitHub. One weak, reused, laughably simple password contributed to

Carl B. Johnson Jan 03, 2021 6 min read
Strong Password Examples

Strong Password Examples That Actually Stop Hackers

The Breach That Started With "Password123" In 2020, the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report confirmed what security professionals already suspected: over 80% of hacking-related breaches involved brute force or the use of lost or stolen credentials. That's not a typo. Four out of five breaches trace

Carl B. Johnson Dec 20, 2020 7 min read
Cyber Incident Reporting

How to Report a Cyber Incident: A Step-by-Step Guide

In July 2020, Twitter suffered one of the most visible cyber incidents of the year — a coordinated social engineering attack that compromised high-profile accounts including Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Apple. The attackers walked away with over $100,000 in Bitcoin. But what stood out to me wasn't

Carl B. Johnson Dec 20, 2020 7 min read
Zero Trust

What Is Zero Trust? A Practical Guide for 2021

The SolarWinds Hack Just Proved Your Perimeter Is an Illusion As I write this in December 2020, we're watching the SolarWinds supply chain attack unfold in real time. Threat actors — likely nation-state sponsored — compromised a trusted software update to infiltrate the U.S. Treasury, the Department of Commerce,

Carl B. Johnson Dec 12, 2020 7 min read
VPN Best Practices

VPN Best Practices: What Actually Protects You in 2026

In early 2024, Ivanti disclosed critical vulnerabilities in its Connect Secure VPN that were already being actively exploited by threat actors — including nation-state groups. CISA issued an emergency directive ordering federal agencies to disconnect affected devices within 48 hours. It was a brutal reminder: a VPN isn't a

Carl B. Johnson Nov 08, 2020 7 min read
Tailgating Attack

Tailgating Attack Cybersecurity: Stop the Walk-In Breach

In 2019, a penetration tester hired by the state of Iowa walked into a locked courthouse after hours simply by following an employee through a secured door. He was arrested — despite being under contract to test exactly that vulnerability. The incident made national headlines and exposed an uncomfortable truth: a

Carl B. Johnson Oct 10, 2020 7 min read