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multi-factor authentication

Covers multi-factor authentication (MFA) strategies, implementation guides, and best practices for adding extra layers of security to user accounts. Learn how MFA prevents unauthorized access and why it remains one of the most effective defenses against credential-based attacks.

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FBI Gmail

FBI Gmail Warning: What You Need to Know in 2024

The FBI Gmail Alerts That Should Have Your Attention In early 2024, the FBI issued multiple warnings about sophisticated attacks targeting Gmail users — and the threat landscape has only intensified since. These aren't the clumsy Nigerian prince scams of a decade ago. Threat actors are now using AI-generated

Carl B. Johnson Jul 13, 2024 6 min read
computer security

Computer Security in 2024: What Actually Works Now

In February 2024, Change Healthcare — one of the largest health payment processors in the United States — was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted pharmacy operations, delayed patient care, and potentially exposed the protected health information of tens of millions of Americans. The root cause? Compromised credentials on a remote

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read
computer security

Computer Security in 2022: What Actually Works Now

In March 2022, Okta confirmed that the Lapsus$ threat actor group had accessed an internal support engineer's laptop, potentially affecting hundreds of downstream customers. A few weeks before that, the same group hit Nvidia, Samsung, and Microsoft. These weren't obscure targets. These were companies with massive

Carl B. Johnson Aug 11, 2022 6 min read
CISA cybersecurity guidelines

CISA Cybersecurity Guidelines: What They Mean for You

The Federal Agency Most Hackers Wish You'd Ignore In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4 million in ransom after a single compromised password shut down fuel delivery across the Eastern Seaboard. Within days, CISA — the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — issued an advisory with specific defensive measures

Carl B. Johnson Jan 01, 2022 7 min read
cybersecurity

Cybersecurity in 2021: What Actually Works Right Now

The Colonial Pipeline Attack Changed Everything On May 7, 2021, a single compromised password shut down the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. Colonial Pipeline paid a $4.4 million ransom to the DarkSide threat actor group — and Americans along the East Coast panic-bought gasoline for days. That'

Carl B. Johnson Jul 01, 2021 7 min read
computer security

Computer Security in 2021: What Actually Works Now

The Colonial Pipeline Hack Changed the Conversation On May 7, 2021, a single compromised password shut down the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. Colonial Pipeline paid a $4.4 million ransom in Bitcoin to the DarkSide ransomware group. Gas stations across the Southeast ran dry. Panic buying erupted.

Carl B. Johnson Jun 03, 2021 7 min read
computer security software

Computer Security Software: What Actually Stops Breaches

The Colonial Pipeline Just Proved Your Software Isn't Enough On May 7, 2021, a single compromised password shut down the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. Colonial Pipeline's systems went dark, gasoline shortages spread across the Southeast, and a ransomware gang called DarkSide walked away

Carl B. Johnson May 18, 2021 6 min read
CISA cybersecurity guidelines

CISA Cybersecurity Guidelines: What Actually Matters

In January 2024, CISA itself disclosed that a threat actor had exploited vulnerabilities in Ivanti products to breach two of its own systems. Let that sink in. The federal agency responsible for setting cybersecurity standards for the entire nation got hit. If that doesn't convince you that simply

Carl B. Johnson Sep 14, 2019 7 min read