Tag

Security Awareness Training

Discover resources and strategies for building effective security awareness training programs. Posts cover curriculum design, engagement techniques, compliance requirements, and methods for measuring training impact to reduce human-related security incidents across organizations.

posts

Fake Mailer

Fake Mailer Attacks: How Threat Actors Spoof Emails

In January 2024, a finance director at a mid-sized logistics company wired $740,000 to a bank account in Hong Kong. The email requesting the transfer appeared to come from the CEO's exact email address — correct display name, correct domain, correct signature block. It wasn't the

Carl B. Johnson Jul 13, 2024 7 min read
Computer Virus Prevention

Computer Virus Prevention: 9 Steps That Actually Work

In January 2024, a single employee at a mid-sized accounting firm double-clicked a file named Invoice_Final_v2.exe. Within 40 minutes, the LockBit ransomware variant had encrypted 14,000 files across three networked drives. The ransom demand was $2.2 million. The firm's antivirus was installed. It

Carl B. Johnson Jul 13, 2024 6 min read
Cyber Security

Cyber Security in 2024: What Actually Works Now

The $4.88 Million Wake-Up Call You Can't Afford to Ignore IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report pegs the global average cost of a breach at $4.88 million — the highest figure ever recorded. That's not a typo. And it's

Carl B. Johnson Jul 13, 2024 8 min read
Cybersecurity Tips

Cybersecurity Tips That Actually Stop Breaches in 2024

In February 2024, Change Healthcare — one of the largest health payment processors in the United States — was brought to its knees by a ransomware attack. Patient data for potentially tens of millions of Americans was exposed. The initial access vector? Stolen credentials on a system that lacked multi-factor authentication. One

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read
Security for System

Security for System Hardening: A Practical Guide

In February 2024, a misconfigured system at Change Healthcare led to one of the most devastating ransomware attacks in U.S. healthcare history. The ALPHV/BlackCat group exploited a Citrix remote access portal that lacked multi-factor authentication — a basic security for system control that should have been in place years

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read
IT Security

IT Security in 2024: What Actually Works Now

In March 2024, UnitedHealth Group's subsidiary Change Healthcare was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted insurance claim processing for hospitals and pharmacies across the United States. The company reportedly paid a $22 million ransom. The attack vector? Stolen credentials used to access a remote system that lacked

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read
Jobs Computer Security

Jobs in Computer Security: Your 2024 Career Guide

There are roughly 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States right now. That number comes directly from CyberSeek, a project supported by NIST and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education. Half a million openings — and the gap keeps widening. If you've been searching for jobs in

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 8 min read
Computer Security

Computer Security: What Actually Works in 2024

In February 2024, Change Healthcare — one of the largest health technology companies in the U.S. — got hit with a ransomware attack that disrupted pharmacies, hospitals, and insurance claims processing across the entire country. UnitedHealth Group confirmed the breach affected a substantial portion of the American population. The attack vector?

Carl B. Johnson Jul 10, 2024 7 min read
Cyber Security

Cyber Security in 2024: What Actually Stops Breaches

The Breach That Changed How I Think About Cyber Security In January 2024, Microsoft disclosed that Russian threat actor Midnight Blizzard had been lurking inside their corporate email systems since November 2023. Not a small startup. Not a company that skimps on security budgets. Microsoft. If their cyber security defenses

Carl B. Johnson May 13, 2024 7 min read
Computer Virus Prevention

Computer Virus Prevention: 9 Steps That Actually Work

The Virus That Cost a Hospital Chain $100 Million In 2017, the NotPetya malware ripped through networks worldwide. It wasn't theoretical. Nuance Communications, a major healthcare IT vendor, took a $92 million hit. Maersk, the shipping giant, lost around $300 million. Heritage Valley Health System in Pennsylvania lost

Carl B. Johnson May 13, 2024 6 min read