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Phishing Prevention

Delivers actionable advice on recognizing and preventing phishing attacks, including email phishing, spear phishing, smishing, and vishing. Covers detection techniques, employee training approaches, email security tools, and real-world phishing examples to strengthen your defenses.

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Phishing Emails

How to Spot Phishing Emails Before They Cost You

In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 298,000 phishing complaints — more than any other cybercrime category. That number has only climbed since. I've investigated breaches at organizations of every size, and the entry point is almost always the same: one employee who

Carl B. Johnson Aug 25, 2026 6 min read
Multi-Factor Authentication

What Is Multi-Factor Authentication? A Real-World Guide

In 2022, Uber's entire internal network was compromised because a single contractor approved a push notification on their phone. The threat actor had already stolen the contractor's password through social engineering — all they needed was that one tap. That breach exposed internal tools, source code, and

Carl B. Johnson Aug 25, 2026 5 min read
Cybersecurity Best Practices

Cybersecurity Best Practices for Employees in 2026

One Click Cost MGM Resorts $100 Million In September 2023, a threat actor called Scattered Spider social-engineered an MGM Resorts employee through a simple phone call to the IT help desk. That single conversation — not a sophisticated zero-day exploit, not a nation-state attack — led to a ransomware incident that shut

Carl B. Johnson Aug 23, 2026 5 min read
Computer Security Software

Computer Security Software: What Actually Stops Breaches

A $100,000 Antivirus Setup That Stopped Nothing I worked with an organization in 2024 that had invested heavily in computer security software — endpoint detection, next-gen firewalls, SIEM, the works. They still got hit with a ransomware attack that encrypted 14,000 files and shut down operations for nine days.

Carl B. Johnson Aug 21, 2026 5 min read
Cost of a Data Breach 2026

Cost of a Data Breach 2026: What the Numbers Mean

The Bill Nobody Plans For IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report pegged the global average at $4.88 million — a 10% jump from the prior year and the highest figure ever recorded. That number has only continued climbing. When I talk to business owners about the

Carl B. Johnson Aug 16, 2026 5 min read
Data Breach Response Plan

Data Breach Response Plan: Build One Before You Need It

The Breach That Proved Most Plans Are Fiction When Uber disclosed in 2022 that it had concealed a 2016 breach affecting 57 million users — and that its former CSO had been convicted of federal obstruction charges for the cover-up — it exposed something uglier than the breach itself. The company had

Carl B. Johnson Aug 14, 2026 5 min read
Computer Security Advice

Computer Security Advice That Actually Works in 2026

A school district in Arizona lost $3.5 million in January 2024 after a single employee followed spoofed wire transfer instructions. The attacker didn't exploit a software vulnerability. They exploited trust. That incident captures why most computer security advice fails — it focuses on tools while ignoring the human

Carl B. Johnson Aug 07, 2026 5 min read
Password Hygiene Tips

Password Hygiene Tips That Actually Stop Breaches

The Breach That Started With "Spring2024!" In 2023, a Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report finding shook the industry: roughly 49% of breaches involved stolen credentials. Not sophisticated zero-day exploits. Not nation-state malware. Passwords. Reused, predictable, phishable passwords. I've responded to incidents where the root cause was

Carl B. Johnson Aug 06, 2026 5 min read
Computer Virus Prevention

Computer Virus Prevention: 9 Steps That Actually Work

In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 880,000 complaints with losses exceeding $12.5 billion — a 22% increase from the prior year. A significant portion of those complaints involved malware, ransomware, and credential theft that started with a single computer virus. If you think

Carl B. Johnson Aug 03, 2026 5 min read
Phishing Definition

Phishing Definition: What It Really Means in 2026

In 2024, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 298,000 phishing complaints — making it the most reported cybercrime category for the fifth consecutive year. Despite billions spent on cybersecurity tools, a single deceptive email still opens the door to catastrophic breaches. If you've ever

Carl B. Johnson Jul 30, 2026 5 min read