Breach

Human error remains the single largest driver of data breaches. Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report found that the human element contributed to 68% of breaches, while Keepnet Labs reports 60%, and some studies push that figure as high as 95%. Whether it’s a mistyped email, a reused password, or a convincing phishing lure, people—not systems—open the door. Yet those same employees can become an organization’s greatest defense through consistent, well-designed employee cybersecurity training. The high cost of getting it wrong IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach report pegs the global average breach at $4.88 million, up from $4.45 million in 2023. These losses include downtime, legal penalties, and reputational damage. Organizations that implemented employee cybersecurity training reduced average breach costs by $258,000. The return is simple: trained employees click fewer malicious links, report incidents faster, and help prevent even a single million-dollar mistake. Why employees remain the weakest […]

A breach is chaotic. This small business post-breach playbook outlines the initial steps: contain systems without compromising evidence, avoid common mistakes, comply with notification rules, and transform the crisis into long-term resilience. These insights are drawn from an interview with Sean Mack, Managing Director of ISMG’s CXL Advisory Service, originally published by Information Security Media Group. The full conversation can be viewed here: Post-Breach Essentials for Small Businesses (GovInfoSecurity.com). The following are my notes and key takeaways from that interview. Post-Breach Containment: Stop the Bleeding, Save the Evidence Isolate affected systems immediately—even if it disrupts business. Don’t power them down. Preserving volatile data helps forensic investigators understand how attackers gained access. Reset credentials for compromised accounts, with priority on administrative and remote-access users. Who Leads the Response (and When to Call External Help) In a breach, one person must lead decisively—whether CIO, CTO, or IT head. If your business lacks […]

Online banking has become the default for millions of people around the world. Whether it is personal accounts or business accounts, people are checking balances and paying bills, managing investments and applying for loans, and most financial activity now happens online. It is now crucial to use a VPN for online banking. But as banking has become more convenient, it has also become a top target for cybercriminals. In fact, financial services account for over 20% of phishing and malware attacks globally—and the risks are only growing. With new scams, man-in-the-middle attacks, and public WiFi exploits emerging constantly, it’s clear that traditional security measures aren’t enough. That’s why a VPN (Virtual Private Network) remains one of the smartest and simplest tools you can use to protect your financial information online. Whether you’re banking from a laptop at home or checking your balance on your phone while traveling, a VPN provides a […]

“No big deal!” Maybe this thought ran through your head after reading recent headlines about the National Public Data (NPD) being breached. When big breaches like this are a regular headline, it’s easy to shrug it off. So I wouldn’t blame anyone for feeling that way. As for myself, I’m really not worried about it. I say it for a few reasons but one of the biggest is that I have various protections in place that give me that peace of mind. Today, we’ll talk about what this means and share some tips on how to say, “No big deal!” to big breaches with a bit more confidence than just complacency. What Happened with NPD? NPD is a database used for background checks. They have access to data that may include: Social Security Numbers (SSNs) names email addresses phone numbers and mailing addresses The details of a breach came out […]