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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In 2023, a barcode scanner app on the Google Play Store — used by over 10 million people — pushed a malicious update that turned a legitimate tool into an aggressive adware delivery mechanism overnight. Users were flooded with pop-ups and redirected to shady websites. Within weeks, researchers discovered the same app
In 2023, the FBI dismantled a cybercrime ring that used a commercial keylogger called Snake Keylogger to steal credentials from over 10,000 victims across 50 countries. The malware recorded every keystroke — banking passwords, email logins, private messages — and quietly exfiltrated the data to attacker-controlled servers. The victims had no
In 2023, the MOVEit Transfer vulnerability — a SQL injection flaw — led to the compromise of over 2,600 organizations and exposed data on more than 77 million individuals. One vulnerability. One injection point. Billions in damage. And here's what should keep you up at night: SQL injection has
In 2018, British Airways disclosed a breach that exposed the personal and financial data of roughly 380,000 customers. The attack vector? A modified JavaScript injected into the airline's payment page — a textbook cross-site scripting exploit. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office initially proposed a
In 2023, MGM Resorts lost an estimated $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider social-engineered the company's IT help desk with a ten-minute phone call. The attacker didn't exploit a zero-day vulnerability. They didn't brute-force a password. They just talked their way
Most Quiz Questions Are a Waste of Everyone's Time I recently reviewed a Fortune 500 company's annual security awareness program. Their quiz had 20 multiple-choice questions. One of them asked employees to define the word "malware." Another asked which year the first computer virus
In May 2021, a single phishing email led to the shutdown of Colonial Pipeline — the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. One compromised credential. One employee who didn't catch the red flags. The result: fuel shortages across the East Coast, a $4.4 million ransom payment, and
In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 298,000 phishing complaints — making it the most reported cybercrime for the fifth consecutive year. Yet every week, I still talk to business owners who think phishing is just "those obvious Nigerian prince emails." It'
A Single Email Cost One Company $100 Million In 2019, Toyota Boshoku Corporation lost $37 million to a single business email compromise attack. Facebook and Google collectively lost over $100 million to a Lithuanian man who sent fake invoices via email over a two-year period. These weren't sophisticated
In 2023, MGM Resorts lost roughly $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider used a spear phishing phone call — a single, targeted social engineering attack against an IT help desk employee — to breach one of the largest casino operators on the planet. The attacker found the employee'
