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Multi-Factor Authentication

Posts tagged with multi-factor authentication explain how layered identity verification strengthens access security. Coverage includes MFA implementation strategies, authenticator app comparisons, hardware token options, and best practices for deploying MFA across enterprise environments.

posts

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
Zero Trust Network Access

Zero Trust Network Access: A Practical Guide for 2021

The SolarWinds Breach Just Proved Your Perimeter Is Dead As I write this in December 2020, we're watching one of the most devastating supply chain attacks in history unfold. The SolarWinds breach — disclosed just days ago — compromised U.S. government agencies and major corporations by exploiting trusted software

Carl B. Johnson Dec 12, 2020 7 min read
Zero Trust Implementation

Zero Trust Implementation: A Practical Guide for 2021

When Twitter disclosed in July 2020 that attackers had hijacked 130 high-profile accounts — including Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Apple — the root cause wasn't some exotic zero-day exploit. It was social engineering. Attackers manipulated employees, gained access to internal tools, and moved laterally through systems that trusted them

Carl B. Johnson Dec 12, 2020 7 min read
Remote Work Cybersecurity Tips

Remote Work Cybersecurity Tips That Actually Work

The Largest Unplanned Security Experiment in History In March 2020, roughly 16 million U.S. knowledge workers shifted to remote work within two weeks. That's not a migration. That's an evacuation. And like any evacuation, people grabbed what they could and ran — personal laptops, home Wi-Fi

Carl B. Johnson Nov 08, 2020 6 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
Remote Desktop Security Risks

Remote Desktop Security Risks That Lead to Breaches

A Single Exposed RDP Port Cost One Hospital Everything In 2023, a regional hospital in Illinois discovered that attackers had been inside their network for over three weeks. The entry point? A single Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port left open to the internet. The threat actors used brute-forced credentials to

Carl B. Johnson Nov 08, 2020 6 min read
CISA Cybersecurity Guidelines

CISA Cybersecurity Guidelines: What They Mean for You

In January 2024, CISA issued Emergency Directive 24-01 after a nation-state threat actor compromised Microsoft's corporate email environment. Federal agencies scrambled to audit their own Microsoft tenants. The directive wasn't theoretical — it was an emergency response to a real breach affecting the backbone of government communications.

Carl B. Johnson Nov 04, 2020 7 min read
Cloud Security Best Practices

Cloud Security Best Practices That Actually Stop Breaches

A Single Checkbox Left 100 Million Records Exposed In 2019, a former cloud engineer exploited a misconfigured web application firewall at Capital One and accessed over 100 million customer records stored in AWS S3 buckets. The breach cost Capital One over $270 million in settlements and remediation. The root cause

Carl B. Johnson Nov 04, 2020 7 min read
Securing Cloud Applications

Securing Cloud Applications: A Practical Guide for 2026

The Misconfiguration That Exposed 100 Million Records In 2019, Capital One learned the hard way that a single misconfigured web application firewall in AWS could expose the personal data of over 100 million customers. The breach cost the company more than $270 million in fines and remediation. That incident wasn&

Carl B. Johnson Oct 27, 2020 7 min read
SaaS Security Best Practices

SaaS Security Best Practices to Protect Your Stack

The SaaS Sprawl Nobody's Watching In 2023, a single misconfigured Salesforce Community site exposed sensitive health records from a government agency in Vermont. The data was public for months before anyone noticed. The application wasn't hacked in any traditional sense — it was simply left open because

Carl B. Johnson Oct 27, 2020 8 min read