Covers email security protocols, tools, and best practices for protecting inboxes from spam, malware, phishing, and unauthorized access. Topics include SPF, DKIM, DMARC configuration, email encryption, and secure communication policies for organizations.
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In May 2021, a single phishing email led to the shutdown of Colonial Pipeline — the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. The attackers used compromised credentials, likely harvested through a phishing campaign, to deploy ransomware that disrupted fuel supply across the entire East Coast. That one email triggered panic
In July 2021, a single phishing email led to a ransomware attack that shut down fuel deliveries across the entire U.S. East Coast. The Colonial Pipeline breach started — like most breaches do — with a compromised credential. If one employee had known how to spot phishing emails, $4.4 million
The FBI Keeps Warning About Gmail — And Most People Keep Ignoring It In 2020, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 791,790 complaints — a 69% increase from 2019. A staggering number of those complaints involved business email compromise, phishing, and credential theft targeting popular email platforms.
The Colonial Pipeline Attack Started with a Single Compromised Credential As I write this, Colonial Pipeline is still scrambling to restore fuel delivery to the southeastern United States after a ransomware attack that shut down 5,500 miles of pipeline. The FBI confirmed DarkSide as the threat actor. While the
One Phish Email Took Down a $60 Billion Company's Defenses In 2023, MGM Resorts International lost roughly $100 million after a social engineering attack that started with a single phone call to their help desk. But most attacks don't even require that much effort. The average
In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 298,000 complaints about phishing — making it the most reported cybercrime in the United States for the fifth consecutive year. Yet when I ask employees during security assessments to explain what phishing actually is, most give me a
One Click Cost This Company $100 Million In 2023, MGM Resorts was brought to its knees — not by a sophisticated zero-day exploit, but by a phone call and a phishing email. Threat actors from the Scattered Spider group used social engineering to gain access, eventually deploying ransomware that disrupted operations
A Single Email Cost This Company $100 Million In 2019, Toyota Boshoku Corporation wired $37 million to a threat actor who impersonated a business partner via email. Facebook and Google collectively lost over $100 million to a Lithuanian man who sent fake invoices over two years. These weren't
A Single Click That Cost $100 Million In 2023, MGM Resorts was brought to its knees — not by a sophisticated zero-day exploit, but by a phishing attack that started with a phone call to an IT help desk. Threat actors from the Scattered Spider group used social engineering to impersonate
The FBI Gmail Alert That Should Have Your Full Attention In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 298,000 phishing complaints — and Gmail accounts were among the most targeted. The FBI has repeatedly issued warnings about sophisticated phishing campaigns targeting Gmail users, including AI-generated
