Tag

Phishing

Explore in-depth articles about phishing attacks, including email phishing, spear phishing, smishing, and vishing. Learn how attackers craft deceptive messages, steal credentials, and compromise systems — and discover proven strategies to detect and block these threats.

posts

Fake Identity Website

Fake Identity Website Scams: How to Spot Them Fast

A Single Fake Identity Website Fueled a $10 Million Fraud Ring In 2023, the FBI dismantled an identity fraud operation that relied heavily on fake identity websites — convincing portals designed to harvest personal data from unsuspecting victims. The ring used stolen credentials to open bank accounts, file fraudulent tax returns,

Carl B. Johnson Aug 17, 2026 5 min read
Data Breach Examples 2026

Data Breach Examples 2026: Lessons from Real Attacks

We're barely halfway through 2026, and the breach disclosures are already stacking up at a pace that should alarm every executive, IT director, and business owner reading this. If you're searching for data breach examples 2026, you're probably trying to figure out what'

Carl B. Johnson Aug 16, 2026 5 min read
Phishing

What Is Phishing? A Security Pro's Real-World Guide

A Single Email Cost This Company $100 Million In 2019, Toyota Boshoku Corporation lost $37 million to a single business email compromise attack. A threat actor impersonated a senior executive and convinced a finance employee to change wire transfer details. The money vanished. That's phishing — not some abstract

Carl B. Johnson Aug 15, 2026 5 min read
Ransomware

What Is Ransomware? A Security Pro's Real-World Guide

A Single Click Cost One Hospital Chain $100 Million In 2020, Universal Health Services — a Fortune 500 hospital operator — got hit by the Ryuk ransomware strain. The result: 400 facilities knocked offline, staff reverting to pen and paper, and an estimated $67 million in direct costs plus ongoing damages that

Carl B. Johnson Aug 15, 2026 5 min read
Ransomware

How Ransomware Spreads: 6 Attack Vectors in 2026

A Single Email Took Down a $5.8 Billion Pipeline In May 2021, a single compromised password shut down Colonial Pipeline and triggered fuel shortages across the U.S. East Coast. The attack didn't start with some exotic zero-day exploit. It started with a stolen credential and an

Carl B. Johnson Aug 08, 2026 6 min read
Keylogger Attack

Keylogger Attack: How Hackers Steal Every Keystroke

In 2023, the FBI's IC3 received over 21,000 complaints related to malware infections that led directly to credential theft — and a significant number of those involved keyloggers silently recording every password, credit card number, and private message typed on a compromised machine. A keylogger attack doesn'

Carl B. Johnson Aug 04, 2026 5 min read
Types of Malware

Types of Malware: What Every Organization Must Know

In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 880,000 complaints with potential losses exceeding $12.5 billion — a 22% increase from the previous year. A staggering number of those incidents involved some form of malicious software. Understanding the types of malware your organization faces isn&

Carl B. Johnson Aug 04, 2026 5 min read
Phishing

What Is a Phishing Attack? A Security Pro Explains

In 2023, 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. I've investigated dozens of breaches that started with a single deceptive email. So when someone asks me what is a

Carl B. Johnson Jul 29, 2026 6 min read
Group Online Svindel

Group Online Svindel: How Organized Fraud Rings Work

A Single Fraud Ring Stole $75 Million — And Nobody Noticed for Months In 2023, the FBI dismantled a business email compromise (BEC) ring that operated across multiple countries, defrauding companies of tens of millions of dollars. The operation wasn't run by a lone wolf. It was a coordinated

Carl B. Johnson Jul 28, 2026 5 min read