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Targeted Cyber Attacks

Examines cyber attacks directed at specific individuals, organizations, or industries, including spear phishing, whaling, and advanced persistent threats. Articles analyze attack vectors, real-world case studies, and defensive measures to detect and mitigate highly focused intrusion attempts.

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Spear Phishing

Spear Phishing: Why Targeted Attacks Beat Your Defenses

In September 2023, MGM Resorts lost roughly $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider used a spear phishing voice call — a single, well-researched phone call to the company's IT help desk — to compromise the entire organization. The attacker already knew the target employee's name,

Carl B. Johnson Jan 17, 2026 8 min read
Spear Phishing

What Is Spear Phishing? The Targeted Attack Behind Major Breaches

In 2023, MGM Resorts lost an estimated $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider socially engineered its way past the help desk with a single phone call. But the reconnaissance that made that call possible? It started with spear phishing — targeted research, crafted messaging, and a specific human

Carl B. Johnson Sep 22, 2025 7 min read
Spear Phishing

Spear Phishing: Why Targeted Attacks Beat Your Defenses

In January 2024, a finance employee at British engineering firm Arup joined a video call with what appeared to be the company's chief financial officer and several colleagues. Every face on the screen was a deepfake. The attackers had spent weeks researching the company's org chart,

Carl B. Johnson Sep 18, 2024 7 min read
Spear Phishing

Spear Phishing: Why Targeted Attacks Beat Your Defenses

In 2023, MGM Resorts lost an estimated $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider used a spear phishing phone call to trick a help desk employee into resetting credentials. One call. One employee. One hundred million dollars. That's not a bulk spam campaign — that's

Carl B. Johnson Feb 23, 2020 7 min read
Spear Phishing

Spear Phishing: Why Targeted Attacks Bypass Your Defenses

In 2023, MGM Resorts lost roughly $100 million after a threat actor called Scattered Spider used a spear phishing phone call — a single, targeted social engineering attack against an IT help desk employee — to breach one of the largest casino operators on the planet. The attacker found the employee'

Carl B. Johnson Jun 18, 2019 7 min read