Tag

Zero Trust

Understand the Zero Trust security model, which operates on the principle of never trust, always verify. Posts cover Zero Trust architecture, identity verification, micro-segmentation, least-privilege access, and practical steps for implementing Zero Trust frameworks across enterprise environments.

posts

Security in Cloud Computing

Security in Cloud Computing: What Goes Wrong First

In April 2021, a misconfigured cloud storage bucket at a major Android app developer exposed the personal data of over 100 million users. Names, emails, passwords, chat messages — all sitting in plain view because someone forgot to toggle a single setting. This wasn't an exotic zero-day exploit. It

Carl B. Johnson May 13, 2021 6 min read
Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA vs Two-Factor Authentication: What Actually Matters

In July 2020, a teenager orchestrated one of the most high-profile breaches in social media history — the Twitter hack that compromised accounts belonging to Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Apple. The attack vector? Social engineering and credential theft that bypassed weak authentication controls. It was a brutal reminder that passwords

Carl B. Johnson Jan 11, 2021 6 min read
Insider Threat Awareness

Insider Threat Awareness: What Your Team Isn't Telling You

In July 2020, a 17-year-old in Florida convinced a Twitter employee to hand over internal credentials. Within hours, threat actors had hijacked 130 high-profile accounts — including those of Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Apple — and used them to run a Bitcoin scam. The breach didn't start with a

Carl B. Johnson Dec 20, 2020 7 min read
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
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
Work From Home Cybersecurity

Work From Home Cybersecurity: A Practical Guide

In April 2020, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported it was receiving between 3,000 and 4,000 cybersecurity complaints per day — a roughly 400% increase from pre-pandemic levels. The single biggest catalyst? Millions of employees suddenly working from home on networks and devices that no corporate

Carl B. Johnson Nov 08, 2020 7 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
Cybersecurity Policy for Employees

Cybersecurity Policy for Employees: A Practical Guide

In 2023, MGM Resorts lost an estimated $100 million after a threat actor social-engineered a help desk employee using information scraped from LinkedIn. One phone call. One employee without clear verification protocols. That's all it took to shut down slot machines, hotel key cards, and reservation systems across

Carl B. Johnson Nov 08, 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