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Data Breach Prevention

Explores strategies and best practices for preventing data breaches in organizations of all sizes. Covers topics like access controls, encryption, network monitoring, incident response planning, and employee awareness to help reduce the risk of unauthorized data exposure.

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Spoofing

Spoof Attacks: How Hackers Impersonate to Steal

In March 2024, a finance employee at a Hong Kong multinational wired $25.6 million to criminals after a video call with what appeared to be the company's CFO and several colleagues. Every person on that call was a deepfake — a sophisticated spoof that fooled a trained professional

Carl B. Johnson Sep 18, 2024 7 min read
Phishing Email

Phishing Email Tactics in 2024: What Actually Works

In January 2024, a finance employee at a multinational firm in Hong Kong transferred $25.6 million after a video call with what appeared to be the company's CFO and several colleagues. Every person on that call was a deepfake. The attack started, like almost all of them

Carl B. Johnson Sep 18, 2024 8 min read
Phishing Attack

Phishing Attack Anatomy: How Breaches Actually Start

In January 2024, a single phishing attack against Framework Computer exposed customer names, emails, and outstanding balances — all because one employee at an external accounting partner clicked a link in a convincing impersonation email. The attacker didn't hack a firewall. They didn't exploit a zero-day vulnerability.

Carl B. Johnson Jul 23, 2024 8 min read
Phishing News

Phishing News 2024: Attacks That Should Scare You

The Phishing Headlines Keep Getting Worse In January 2024, a finance worker at engineering firm Arup wired $25 million to threat actors after a deepfake video call that impersonated the company's CFO. That single incident captures everything terrifying about the current phishing news cycle: attacks are smarter, faster,

Carl B. Johnson Jul 23, 2024 6 min read
Phishing Scams

Phishing Scams: What Actually Works to Stop Them

In January 2024, a finance worker at engineering firm Arup wired $25 million to criminals after joining a video call with what appeared to be the company's CFO and several colleagues. Every person on that call was a deepfake. The attack started with what every phishing scam starts

Carl B. Johnson Jul 23, 2024 8 min read
Fake Identity Website

Fake Identity Website Threats: How to Spot and Stop Them

The Fake Identity Website That Fooled an Entire HR Department Earlier this year, an HR team at a mid-size logistics company received a job application that checked every box. The resume was polished, the LinkedIn profile looked legitimate, and the applicant's personal website — showcasing a portfolio and professional

Carl B. Johnson Jul 16, 2024 7 min read
Cyber Security

Cyber Security in 2024: What Actually Works Now

The $4.88 Million Wake-Up Call You Can't Afford to Ignore IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report pegs the global average cost of a breach at $4.88 million — the highest figure ever recorded. That's not a typo. And it's

Carl B. Johnson Jul 13, 2024 8 min read
Cybersecurity Tips

Cybersecurity Tips That Actually Stop Breaches in 2024

In February 2024, Change Healthcare — one of the largest health payment processors in the United States — was brought to its knees by a ransomware attack. Patient data for potentially tens of millions of Americans was exposed. The initial access vector? Stolen credentials on a system that lacked multi-factor authentication. One

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read
What Is Cybersecurity

What Is Cybersecurity? A Practitioner's Real-World Guide

In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 880,000 complaints with potential losses exceeding $12.5 billion — a 22% increase in losses from the year before. That's not a theoretical number. Those are real businesses shuttered, real retirement accounts emptied, and real hospitals

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 6 min read
IT Security

IT Security in 2024: What Actually Works Now

In March 2024, UnitedHealth Group's subsidiary Change Healthcare was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted insurance claim processing for hospitals and pharmacies across the United States. The company reportedly paid a $22 million ransom. The attack vector? Stolen credentials used to access a remote system that lacked

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read